Nightingale's song
by SorceressOfTheOceanAndStars
Summary: "You say that you don't know me, but you do." Danny huffed and rubbed his eyes, "No, I don't Phantom, I've never met you 'till now." Danny Fenton goes on a cruise with his family for a convention, should be a normal vacation right? Well...when your in the Bermuda Triangle, that might not be the case. Pitch Pearl. Danny and Phantom are separate people. Psychic!AU Reincarnation fic.
1. A Cruise?

**Hello everyone! My name is Sorceress, and I hope you are well! This is my first ever multichapter story and my first time on FFN, but that doesn't mean you can go easy on me! I would love to have constructive criticism and to answer any questions you have (as long as they're not personal and they aren't spoilers) and flames I simply use for BBQ.** **That said, let's hit the rules!**

 **This is a multilingual story, mostly focused on English and Italian. I used Google Translate so if the phrases are wrong or if you can give me better ones, let me know and I'll make a note of them.**

 **There's swearing (They are teenagers, it's going to happen), mentions of molestation and neglect. When the middle of these things comes up I'll** **let** **you know at the beginning of the chapter. There is _some_ mention of consensual sex, just mentioned though.**

 **This is BoyxBoy, if you don't like that, then you don't need to be reading this anyway.** **There is much worse than this though, which is why I'd say this is a high T, (depending on the person) and a very low M.**

 **Danny is about 18 in this by the way.**

 **Okay, if you managed to read all that, then congrats! If not, then don't come throwing things at me when I did in fact warn you. That said,**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom, it belongs to Butch Hartman. I do this for fun and NOT for profit.** **Let's begin shall** **we?**

 ** _This is supposed to be a line break..._**

 **Chapter one: We're going on a Cruise?**

 _"Danny, who are you talking to?"_

 _Four year old Daniel James Fenton casted a eye to his mother before bringing his attention back to the picture he was coloring. "Fan-tom." He said pointing to his left. Maddie blinked, glancing back over to her son, "Who's Phantom?"_

 _Danny, slightly confused, pointed again, "This is Phantom." He insisted, pronouncing the word right that time. Maddie rolled her eyes, dropping the subject. "If you say so sweetie. I just came to tell you that lunch is almost ready."_

 _"Okay Mama!" Danny stood from what he was doing, baby blue eyes sparkling. Maddie chuckled and walked back into the kitchen._

 _"Do you want to come too,_

 _Fan-tom?" Danny asked the boy next to him._

 _"No, I'm okay Danny, you go ahead."_

 _Danny nodded, expecting the answer. "Okay, I'll be back!" Danny said with a big smile._

 ** _Line break..._**

 **HONK! HONK!**

"AH!"

Danny Fenton falls out of the bed he was sharing with his sister, landing on his neck and shoulder. He groans in pain, sitting up and looking around the room that has two king beds, a small nightstand and medium sized dresser, and is momentarily confused about his surroundings. Then he remembers.

 ** _Wish this app actually saves my line breaks..._**

 _"We're going on a cruise?"_

 _"That's right Jazz, since you're going to be home for a couple of months and Danny's finally graduated from high school, I thought it would be nice to have one more family vacation before my big man goes off to college!" Maddie baby talked at the end, pinching Danny's cheek in affection._

 _Danny swatted his mother's hand away before he crossed his arms, "When did this come up? And why a cruise? Don't we usually go camping or something for a vacation?"_

 _"Well..." Said the brunette, suddenly looking unsure. She was interrupted by her husband Jack, who threw his arm around her with a big grin._

 _"There's gonna be a big ghost convention in Bermuda! We're going by the Bermuda Triangle to see if we can pick up anything eerie about it so we can blather on about it when we get there!"_

 _"As much fun as that sounds," Jazz said brow raised, "I don't want to sit through some convention that exasperates your crazy obsession over something that doesn't exist. I was happy when Danny got over his phase and I don't want him picking it up again."_

 _Danny glanced over at his sister with confusion and slight annoyance, "Jazz, I may not remember what that part of my life was about, but I know it didn't have anything to do with ghosts!" He turned his glare back to his mother, "And besides, I had plans with Sam and Tucker before we all go to different collages!"_

 _"Well your going to have to cancel. You can see them during spring break and other times like that can't you?" Maddie said, "We've hardly spent time as a family anymore, I want to spend some time with the whole family before you both leave and it just be me and your father most of the year." She finished with hands on her hips and a no nonsense tone that hid the desperation she felt. Jack stood behind her and shot them the puppy dog eyes that Danny had inherited._

 _The siblings relented. "We'll go get ready." They sighed as they trudged up the stairs, Danny resigned to calling his friends and telling them the news._

 ** _Because doing it like this is tedious and disrupts the flow of the story..._**

Danny groans again at the memory before getting dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and walking out on deck. He leans against the railing of the ship, enjoying the peace of the early morning. He had no clue where his family was and right now has no desire to look for them, figuring they would find him if they really needed him.

Sure enough, he hears footsteps behind him. The person comes over to his side and a quick glance reveals his sister. They stand in silence before Jazz decides to break it.

"I know the destination isn't to our liking, but you know they mean well," She said.

Danny snorts and shakes his head, "Oh yeah, 'We wanna get a reading on the Bermuda Triangle, oh! And just for the hell of it, let's take Danny and Jazz! It'll be the perfect time to try to get them interested in ghosts before the convention!'"

Jazz sighs, "You know that's not what they meant when they wanted us to come along. We could at least try to have fun."

Danny huffs sadly as he gazes out at the vast blue ocean, "Yeah I know, it's not like I don't want go to Bermuda, I'm curious about the Triangle too, It's just..." He trails off.

"You wish it didn't have anything to do with ghosts?" Jazz guessed.

"Yeah."

Jazz puts a sympathetic hand on her brother's shoulder. "I feel the same way. But I've learned a long time ago that it doesn't do any good to try and change the way they think. And in their own way they _are_ trying to connect and bond with us. Do you think you can give it a chance and enjoy yourself while we're here?" She grins in reassurance.

Danny nods. "Yeah, I'll try. Thanks Jazz."

He still doesn't feel any better, but Danny knows that his sister meant well and he really appreciates it. She pats him on the shoulder, "I'm going in for breakfast. You wanna come with?"

"Nah, you go ahead. I'll be in in a minute." She nods and walks away.

Danny turns back to gaze at the horizon again. The sun is halfway over the ocean from where he could see, casting the water in many shades of blue and pink. Danny feels a pair of arms wrap around him and hears a deep voice in his ear.

"It's beautiful isn't it? Just like before."

Danny looks behind him, but doesn't see anyone else there. The feeling is gone as well. He glances around in confusion before shrugging it off and following Jazz inside, unaware of the pair of glowing green eyes that follow him as he leaves.


	2. The piano, the shadow, and the Phantom

**Hello everyone! I hope you are doing well, and if not I hope you will be doing better soon! I don't have much to say, so let's get this show on the road shall we?**

 **Warnings for the chapter: Not anything worth mentioning.**

 **I do not own Danny Phantom, Butch Hartman does. This story has been disclaimed.**

 ** _Line break_ **

**Chapter two:** **The piano, the Shadow, and the Phantom**

Danny walks into a large Dining Room and looks around the crowded area. Large red curtains with gold ropes holding them are along the top of the white wall, while plush burgundy carpet lines the floor with at least thirty tables covered in white table cloths.

He spots his parents and sister over at the end farthest from the door and strolls over, trying not to give away his discomfort of being in a room with so many strangers. He maneuveres around the tables and passengers, almost to his family's table when something on the stage catches his eye.

A big beautiful black piano sat at the far end of the dining room, about seven tables from the entrance and four tables away from the place his family now sat. He continues to walk towards his family, glancing back at the instrument several times before he gives in to the impulse, changing direction as he heads over to the piano.

He stands in front of it, lifting the lid and running his fingers over the ivory keys. He hears a whisper in his ear, 'Play it.' It hissed, 'What are you waiting for?'

As if he was in a trance, Danny places his hand on the keys, tentatively playing a few notes. The piano is perfectly tuned, though Danny couldn't say how he knows that. A song runs through his head and his fingers follow it without prompt. Conversation still flows through the room, not unusual, they probably had someone come and play music every once in a while. He feels eyes on him though, from in the crowd and despite feeling self-consciousness he can't seem to stop.

He sees something out of the corner of his eye and glances over to see a white haired man leaning against the wall. He wears a white buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows and black pants with sleek looking grey boots.

The man has his arms crossed as his glowing green eyes focus on Danny intently, and instead of feeling uncomfortable, Danny puts his other hand on the piano keys and picks up the song, like his fingers were following the beat of his heart as it sped up. The room falls silent as the other passengers finally notice him and gaze in awe.

The man smirks, as if he knew the effect he had on Danny and the raven haired man's heart skips a beat. His green eyes seem to glow with pride and other emotions that Danny can't name, though the glowing could have been his imagination. As the song comes to a close, Danny begins to get a feeling of deja vu. He tried to think of where the feeling could have come from but nothing comes to mind.

The song ends, and Danny jumps when the people in the room start to applaud him. 'How the hell did I forget that I'm in a room filled with over half the people on the ship?!'

His cheeks become red as tomatoes and he looks back over to where the snow haired devil was standing, only to blink and raise a brow when the man is gone. He quickly walks off the stage before anyone can intercept him.

Confused and slightly embarrassed from the reception, Danny walks down a dim hall not realizing something is watching him until a deep voice comes out of the shadows.

"That was a marvelous performance Daniel,"

His eyes widen and he instinctively turns sharply towards a shadow on the wall that seems to be darker than he thinks it should be. "Who are you?!" He growls. "How do you know my name?"

A dark chuckle comes from the place Danny is watching as slanted red eyes and a fanged grin appear, "My, my, forceful as always Daniel, but who I am is of little importance as of now. Just know that I am a friend."

Danny glares at the shadow, "A friend huh? I don't know you."

The grin gets bigger, "Tell me then Daniel, do you know that other boy? The one with the white hair and venomous green eyes?"

Danny's eyes narrow, his body tensing up as he says, "No, I don't. You still haven't given me a reason to trust you though."

"No, I suppose I haven't. But considering that I saved your life from him I would think that you'd be more appreciative. Or do you not remember?" the shadow said, acting concerned.

Danny's eyes widen slightly before they narrow again at the feeling of something not right.

"I don't believe you." He states flatly.

"Really Daniel, are you sure you don't remember? That is concerning, he must have done more than I thought."

"Did what?" Danny snaps, the bad feeling increasing.

"Tell me Daniel, what do you remember before your eleventh year?" The shadow inquires. Danny's brow wrinkles in thought,

"I-I don't remember anything," He glares even harder at the shadow, "How did you know?"

"I was there Daniel! That ghost attacked you while I was distracted! If I hadn't stopped him he could have done far worse!" The shadow says melodramatically, "Though, I suppose there might not be anything worse than having the memories of your childhood taken from you."

Danny shakes his head fiercely, "No, that's not true!" He retorts. He didn't know why, but he knew for certain that it wasn't. The shadow sighs as if disappointed.

"I suppose it doesn't matter. At least some memories remain. Did you know that you use to play piano?"

Danny shakes his head again, "No. I've never even touched a piano before." He said.

"That's not true my boy! You learned to play piano when you were five years old! You said that you wanted to play for me." The shadow told him in a desperate tone. Danny thought for a moment. He could tell, somehow, that what it said was true. But something told him that it still wasn't quite right.

"Your lying."

"That was one of my most precious memories with you Little Badger, what could I possibly gain from lying to you?" The thing insists, trying to cover up his annoyance. Danny caught it though and clenched his fists.

"I can tell your lying! Who are you?!" Danny snarls.

The shadow opens its mouth to reply but senses another presence. "Butter Biscuits!" It curses under its breath before it vanishes.

Danny's brow raises in confusion. "What the..."

"You shouldn't believe what that thing tells you, Danny. It may sound charming but its motives are not for your benefit."

Danny turns towards the new voice, muscles tensed. He relaxes though when he sees the man from before. He didn't know why, but he felt safe around him. "Why should I trust you?" He says none the less.

The man's eyes soften as he walks up to Danny, putting a gentle hand on his face as he gazes at Danny lovingly.

"Why would I ever want to harm my beautiful little Nightingale?" He says softly.

Danny gasps and searches the man's eyes. He feels like he should kiss him, but once again he can't for the life of him figure out why. "Who are you?"

The man leans in, his warm breath ghosting over Danny's lips. "Phantom..."

Danny wants to push him away, he wants to yell, but something holds him back. Danny closes his eyes and waits, feeling conflicted with wanting to push him away, and wanting to pull Phantom closer. The raven haired man felt the name was familiar too.

Unfortunately, Phantom pulls away. Danny opens his eyes to gaze at the other man. Phantom caresses Danny's cheek, eyes swimming with sadness and longing. "I wish you could remember." Phantom whispers before he fades away.

Danny blinks, his brow furrowing before another voice, this one much more familiar, comes from the direction of the Dining Room.

"Danny?"


	3. Questions with no sure answers

**Warnings for this chapter: Intentional miss use of words to try to mimic a young child's speech pattern. Even though it killed me to intentionally mess up my grammar, I thought it would be cute and make sense.** **The Italian starts picking up from here, translations are at the bottom of the chapter.**

 ** _Line Break_**

 ** _Chapter Three: Questions with no sure answers._**

Danny turns around to find his family looking at him in worry. "Are you alright? You took off pretty quick," Jazz says, her brow furrowed. Danny shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts and smiles.

"Yeah, I'm okay," He rubs the back of his neck feigning embarrassment, "It's just...it was a lot of people, you know?"

Jazz nods in understanding before she smiles brightly, "You know, I haven't seen you play piano in a long time, I had actually thought that you'd forgotten it."

Danny frowns, "Wait, so I actually played piano before?" 'So the Shadow wasn't lying?!' He thinks wildly.

Maddie looks at Danny, hands on her hips as curiosity comes off her in waves. "Well yes, when you were five I had paid someone to teach you. We couldn't afford to buy a piano at the time you were learning it, but Mrs. Summers, before she passed on, allowed you to come over to her house all the time to play hers."

His mother smiles, "She said that you picked it up like you had played for years, you even made up a song. You never played it in front of people though, not even us," Her grin falls, "When you lost your memory, you didn't seem interested in it anymore so we didn't think there was any point in telling you about it. And Mrs. Summers had already long since passed on."

Danny rubs his temples, cringing at the throbbing pain that seemed to get worse with each passing year, "Okay, so apparently I'm a piano prodigy and nobody figured it would have been a good idea to, oh I don't know, tell me before I had to stand in front of all those strangers and figure it out for myself?"

Jazz crosses her arms and glares at him, "Nobody made you play the piano Danny, we just followed you to see if you were okay, you don't have to bite our heads off for it."

Danny opens his mouth to retort before closing it again, thinking about what she said.

Jazz was right; nobody made him play that piano. He could have just walked by it without a second glance, normally he would have. What was different this time?

Danny sighs, feeling drained all of a sudden, "Your right Jazz, I'm sorry. It's just a lot to take in is all." He puts a hand on his head again, feeling like Dash Baxter had pretty much just wailed on him from the neck up. Maddie notices this and walks over, putting a hand on his shoulder, eyes filled with concern.

"Sweetie, is it another migraine? Do you need to go lay down?"

Danny nods and without saying another word, proceeds to walk back to the cabin they all share. Once he goes in he flops down on the bed and sighs into the pillow, enjoying the coolness on his face. He lays there for a few minutes, the headache seeming to get worse, before finally passing out from the pain and exhaustion.

 ** _Line break_**

 _"Mama, what's that?"_

 _Maddie glanced over at the shop window that Danny was pointing at, "What's what dear?" She said._

 _Danny tugged on her hand, wanting to get a closer look. Maddie relented and they walked into the store. Danny ran right up to the object in question, pushing the lid open on it and staring at the keys in fascination. He felt his mother walk up behind him but didn't take his eyes off the piece of furniture._

 _Maddie chuckled, smiling at how mesmerized her son was with the instrument. "It's called a piano sweetie, it makes music when you press these keys, see?" She pressed one to demonstrate, a sweet sound coming from the piano in response. Danny's eyes widened and he grinned at the piano._

 _He then heard an amused chuckle and looked over at his friend with a frown on his face. "What?"_

 _Danny could feel rather than see the grin on his friend's face; the image was blurrier than usual so he couldn't make out what his friend looked like, "You like pianos Danny?" He said in fake innocence._

 _Danny stuck his tongue out at the other boy, "Yeah, so?" He shot back._

 _His friend held up his hands, "I don't mean nothing by it! I like piano music, so if you wanna play it, I don't mind."_

 _That surprised Danny a little. His friend liked piano music? Danny didn't know that, then again, it was never brought up before that he knew of, "What's your favorite song then?" Danny questioned._

 _The blurry image of his friend clutched his sides and laughed. Danny's face burned red as he rubbed the back of his neck, a tic he'd always had when he was nervous or embarrassed. "What?! What's so funny?"_

 _"It-its nothing," His friend moved as if to wipe a tear from his eye, "It's just that you asked me that question before."_

 _Danny huffed and crossed his arms, "It's not like I can re...remem...think about the time 'before'! What did you say then?" Danny said glaring slightly at his blurry friend._

 _"I said it didn't matter." Was the answer._

 _Danny's face turned red again for some reason as something akin to butterflies flapped in his tummy. He shrugged it off though and ran back to his mother who was talking to the shop owner. He tugged at the leg of her jumpsuit insistently._

 _"Mama! Mama!"_

 _Maddie looked down at her wide eyed son, "What is it sweetie?" He pointed back at the piano._

 _"I want the piano mama," He said with an excited grin. Maddie chuckled at her child's eagerness but gave him a sad smile._

 _"Danny, that piano costs too much money, I can't afford to get it for you."_

 _Danny's smile fell but he continued to tug at her leg, "But Mama, I wanna play for my friend! He likes pianos too so I wanna play for him! Please Mama?" He gave her his best puppy dog eyes, "I'll keep my room clean, and wash the ditches for you and stuff! Please?" He pleaded again, ignoring the snickers from the boy behind him._

 _Another warm laugh before Maddie put a soothing hand on Danny's head, "I'll see what I can do sweetie." She said. She waved to the shop owner and left with the boy._

 _Danny was then sitting in front of another piano with an older woman watching him and helping him with any mistakes that he made. He felt his friend sitting on the small frilly couch behind him watch as he practiced._

 _When he finished the song, the woman smiled proudly as his friend clapped in the background._

 _"That was excellent Daniel! Only two mistakes on your fourth try! If I didn't know any better I'd say you've played for decades."_

 _Danny couldn't remember what that last word meant but he took the compliment for what it was and blushed._

 _"Thank you Mrs. Summers," He said politely. He heard his friend snickering in the background and cast a glare over his shoulder, to which the other boy simply laughed harder. It wasn't like Mrs. Summers could hear him anyway._

 _The old frilly lady, that was the only thing Danny could really think about her besides 'nice' because everything on her and in her house had frillies everywhere, stood up from the bench and headed towards the kitchen. "How about some lemonade and cookies to celebrate?"_

 _"Chocolate chip?" Danny asked blue eyes wide and hopeful._

 _Mrs. Summers laughed, "Of course dear! Now just wait right there," She told him as she walked into the kitchen._

 _Danny kicked his feet back and forth, careful not to hit the piano in front of him. Well, he wasn't able to get his own like he wanted, but this was the next best thing. Mrs. Summers said that he could come over anytime he wanted to so he could play her piano. And his mother said that she was giving the lady money for the lessons. As long as he could play, it didn't really matter to him._

 _He felt his friend sit next to him and smiled. Though he couldn't remember his friend's name right now, which he felt bad about, and he couldn't see him, he knew his friend had been with him for a really long time. The adults didn't think that he could hear them when they talked about his 'Imaginary friend' behind his back. His friend wasn't made up, even though Danny couldn't prove it to anybody, he knew Phantom was real._

 _Danny's eyes widened and he gasped. His friend's name was Phantom! His best (and only, let's be honest,) friend in the world! Danny facepalmed and groaned under his breath. He really wished he could remember stuff like that more easily, he had promised after all! Wait, what exactly was the promise again? Darn it!As Danny was lost in thought, he started to play a song that he didn't recognize but made him sad none the less. He heard his friend humming to it and distantly thought about asking the other boy if he knew the song. He opened his mouth to ask, but Mrs. Summers' voice floated in from the kitchen and he stopped playing._

 _He didn't want anyone but his friend hearing this song._

 ** _Line Break_**

Danny slowly wakes up to find it dark in the cabin. His family is in the room with him asleep so he looks at the clock they had brought with them and sighs when it reads 1:37am. He ended up sleeping the day away, Danny thinks ruefully. Danny gets out of bed, careful not to disturb his sister, and quietly creeps out of the room.

He goes out on deck and sits in one of the many lounge chairs there, thinking about the dream he just had. Then he shakes it off, figuring that he had the dream because of what his mother and that shadow told him. 'His mind making things up to compensate for lack of memory,' or something like that. Danny closes his eyes and tries to clear his head so he can go back to sleep, slowly breathing in and out.

That wasn't going to happen though apparently, because once again he feels arms wrap around him, this time coupled with the feeling of a strong chest against his back. His breath hitches and his eyes fly open to see a pair of thighs on the outside of his own; black jeans and white boots he notices idly.

"What has you awake so early in the morning?"

Danny recognizes the voice and immediately relaxes back into the surprisingly warm chest without thinking. "Nothing really, where did you come from Phantom?"

He hears Phantom chuckle, strong tan arms tightening their hold on the raven and Danny once again gets a strange sense of deja vu.

"I'm always around, if I don't wish to be seen then people can look right at me and never know it." Phantom replies with a mischievous lilt in his voice.

"Oh yeah, that's not creepy as all hell," The raven snarkes before he frowns, now he _really feels_ like they'd done this before.

"You asked me that question before," Phantom says as if reading his mind, "And I told you the same. I have no need to lie to you Nightingale."

Danny turns his head, just catching a glimpse of snow white hair, "Why do you call me that?"

A wicked grin comes in to view, "Because you have always made such beautiful music, amore(1)." He purrs in Danny's ear.

Danny blushes as heat pools in his lower abdomen, sensing the double meaning behind those words. His embarrassment is warring with something else though, something he has never thought he would ever feel before. To be honest, it scared him.

He pulls out of Phantom's arms, trying his damnedest to ignore the loss of warmth, and turns around to look into the glowing green eyes. "Who are you to me? You keep holding me and saying things like that even though I've never met you in my life!"

A look of hurt passes Phantom's eyes which Danny tries to ignore. Something in Danny told him not to hurt him, but Danny is confused and feeling like he's being left out of an important loop which never fails to piss him off.

Phantom continues to stare at Danny, debating with himself on what he should say. Finally, Phantom says cryptically, "I've been many things to you throughout your life Danny, whether it be this one or before."

Danny's brow wrinkles in confusion but he still feels himself relax a little, "What do you mean 'before'?"

Phantom smiles sadly, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you right now, just know that I have always been with you and always will be, no matter what." Phantom vanishes, making Danny jump at the suddenness of it.

Danny stands there contemplating about what the man in black and white said. He knew Phantom? What does he mean about 'before', and why wasn't he saying anything? Is he worried that Danny might not like what he says? Danny rubs his temples again, the headache returning full force from all the unanswered questions. Phantom was confusing, Danny refuses to think of him as mysterious though a little voice in the back of his mind was laughing at him for it.

'He basically said the same thing that that shadow told me, but I feel like I can believe it this time. Phantom makes me feel safe, something that Shadow doesn't do.'

Danny sighs and trudges back to bed, making sure to keep quiet as he enters the room. He climbs into bed next to Jazz, laying there with his eyes closed trying to get his brain to shut down. He feels fingers run through his hair, bigger than his mom or sister's and smaller than his dad's. The feeling of safety returns and Danny instinctively relaxes, slipping into slumber with a smile.

Phantom smiles tiredly as Danny falls asleep. "Buonanotte...Amore mio(2)." He whispers.

 **Translations for this chapter**

 **(1) Amore, Italian for "love".**

 **(2) "Buonanotte...amore mio." Good night my love**


	4. First time encounters

**Warnings for this chapter: None that I know of.**

 **Let's get this show on the road!**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter 4: First time encounters, or was it really?**

The days pass and nothing of real merit happens, that is, until one day...

Danny is sitting with his family eating dinner when the overhead speakers start making noise, causing the ship to fall silent.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, uh, we seem to have entered a corner of the Bermuda Triangle by mistake. Now, there's no need to panic for the staff of the ship has handled this kind of situation before, so just sit back and enjoy the few extra days of your cruise."

Jack bobs up and down in his seat like a little kid, eyes sparkling while a grin splits his face. "Isn't this great Mads? We finally get to study the Bermuda Triangle! Is this our lucky day or what?"

"Yeah sure dad, _really_ lucky." Danny says rolling his eyes.

The sarcasm is lost on his parents though, who spring up from their chairs and take off to find their equipment. Jazz smiles tiredly and pats Danny's arm before getting up; going to find a quiet place to read most likely.

Danny stays in his chair, contemplating on what he should do now. He glances over at the piano, as he had been doing for the past six days. He hasn't touched it since that day, afraid that something weird was going to happen again. Oh, the urge is there, but unlike the first time he hasn't given in to the pull. He gets up and is about to leave when he heard a familiar voice calling his name in a stage whisper.

Danny turns so fast you'd think he would get whiplash, "Tucker?!"

"Shhhhhh!" Tucker hisses. His eyes dart around the room before motioning Danny to follow him. They go around the corner of the stage so they can talk in private.

"Tucker, what are you doing here? I thought you were back in Amity Park!"

Tucker frowns, looking at Danny like he'd grown a second head. "What in god's name are you talking about Danny? I don't know what Amity Park is but I've worked on this ship almost as long as you have! What? Because people love your piano playing so much you've decided not to give a lowly violinist the time of day?"

Danny throws his hands up and steps back, still confused on what is happening, "Woah, easy Tuck, that's not what I meant!" He insists anxiously.

Tucker starts laughing, "Naw, don't worry I'm just screwing with you!" He says wiping an imaginary tear from his eye, "But anyway, what were you doing on the dining floor with the passengers? You know Vlad doesn't want the staff mingling with the upper class, he loses profit that way."

Danny feels anger shoot though him at that name, it sounds familiar somehow, "I don't give a damn about Vlad's profits! I'm a pianist, not a servant!" Danny snaps. Tucker gives him a pitying look.

"Vlad's trying to force you again isn't he?"

That question causes Danny to pause. What does he mean by 'force'? He stares at Tucker for a moment before an unpleasant feeling curls in his gut, making him nauseous. He must have a look on his face because anger flares in Tucker's eyes before he puts a hand on Danny's shoulder, glaring at their feet.

"I wish I could stop him Danny, I really do." Tucker tells him ashamed.

Danny shakes his head, "There's nothing you could do Tuck, if it wasn't for him I would still be out on the streets," Danny wonders why he is saying this, this Vlad person hasn't done anything to help Danny that he knows of, but it seems his brain isn't controlling his mouth at the moment.

"Besides, he's almost as rich as King Henry, and has about as much influence. He could make us disappear and no one would wonder what happened to us." Danny says brushing Tucker's hand off.

"Daniel where are you?! You need to be onstage in twenty minutes!"

Danny and Tucker freeze up, eyes wide as dinner plates for two different reasons. "That's Vlad! You need to get out there before he throws a tantrum!" He pushes Danny up on the stage before the raven can register what is happening, careful not to be spotted himself.

Danny stands in front of the piano and gawks at the crowd. All eyes land on him and he starts to feel sweat at the nap of his neck. He bites his lip, looking around the room nervously before quickly bowing and taking a seat on the bench behind him. He looks down and finally notices that he isn't wearing his usual outfit. Instead of his usual blue jeans and T-shirt, he is wearing a light blue and grey three piece suit and instead of sneakers he is wearing black dress shoes.

'Okay, this is beyond weird,' He thinks brow wrinkled at the new development. Danny looks over at Tucker who is motioning him to do something, though Danny thinks he kind of looks like a chicken with how he's jumping and flapping his arms.

Danny sighs, cracks his fingers, and then puts his hands on the piano keys. Figuring that he'd just go with whatever song came to mind.

Danny's fingers automatically start playing a melody that gives off his emotional state. Confusion, turmoil, and an undertone of loneliness that Danny wouldn't have known he was feeling if it didn't come out in the music. But now that he thought about it, he did feel lonely. He doesn't know why he feels that way, or what kind of loneliness it is, but it is there. His hands add an agitated tone to the music as he becomes frustrated trying to figure it out.

He tries to ignore the eyes at his back as he plays, but he has the urge to look behind him. A quick glance shows his audience silent and gazing at him in awe, but one pair of eyes catch his attention in particular. He can't see the person, but the emerald green eyes are crystal clear and show a keen interest. Danny starts to feel uncomfortable, so he turns back to the piano and finishes the song.

The crowd applauds and he hastily takes a bow before fast walking off stage. He makes his way into a hallway that looks very familiar.

"That was beautiful, I don't think I've ever heard a song more beautiful in my lifetime."

Danny turns sharply and tenses, a feeling of Deja Vu niggling in the back of his mind. But when blue eyes lock with green he relaxes a little. He isn't sure who he was expecting but he's thankful that it wasn't that person. He rubs the back of his neck and smiles.

"I'm not that good, I just play whatever comes to my head. There's always someone out there that's better." He says modestly looking at the ground.

The other man chuckles as he walks closer, "Perhaps, but you're the best I've seen by far. You don't play what others expect, I'm sure you'd become quite famous one day."

Danny laughs and shoots back with, "Yeah, and maybe one day I'll marry a marchioness!"

"You don't give yourself enough credit for your talents." The man says seriously before he seems to remember something, "Oh! But where are my manners!"

The man bowed a little, "I am Daniel Baritoni, what might your name be buon signore(1)?"

Danny's eyes widen a bit from the foreign language, but he laughs good-naturedly as he holds his hand out for a shake. "Daniel Jameson, but everyone calls me Danny," He introduces, not stopping to wonder where he got the last name from.

Danny senses the other man's grin, as he says in a charming voice, "We have the same first name? Well the world is small after all," He takes Danny's hand and brushes his lips against the back of it, "I hope to see more of your performance, Mr. Jameson."

Danny's face burns red at the gesture as he mumbles, "Sure," he quickly pulls his hand away as Daniel Baritoni laughs and walks away.

Heart pounding, he covers the hand the green eyed man kissed as he feels a small smile tug on his lips. Danny turns around only to run into the chest of the person he feels he really doesn't want to see.

Dark, angry blue eyes stare into sky blue and Danny's heart startes thundering in his chest for a completely different reason. This man absolutely reeks of ill intent and right now, it seems like it is all focused on Daniel James Fenton.

"Daniel, who was that you were talking to?" He says voice deceptively calm.

Danny's eyes widen as he recognizes the voice. This was the shadow Danny was talking to before, and also the supposed owner of the ship. So his name is Vlad...

When the man narrows his eyes, Danny snaps out of his thoughts and insists in a rush, "N-no one sir! Just someone who was congratulating me on my music!"

Vlad seems to accept this excuse and gives him a kind smile; it makes Danny's skin crawl.

"Well, I suppose that's not unusual, most of my passengers tend to come aboard this ship again and again just to see you play. Though we both know that wouldn't be the case if it wasn't for me, correct?" Vlad puts a hand on Danny's cheek and the younger male feels what can only be described as spiders made of the coldest ice crawl up his back. He instinctively pulls away from the touch, his cheek feeling as if it were burned.

"Of course sir, I wouldn't have even known of my talent if it wasn't for you."

Danny feels sick saying that, but unlike the first conversation he had with Vlad before, something told him it was better to stay on the man's good side.

Vlad chuckles, pretending he doesn't notice Danny's discomfort, "Just be sure to remember that Little Badger, I happen to enjoy your talents as well, it would be a shame if something were to happen to cause you to be unable to preform for the guests now wouldn't it?"

Danny hears the subtle threat under the words and gives the older man a shaky smile, "Of course, sir."

Vlad nods and walks away. Danny lets out a sigh of relief just as Jazz comes around the same corner that Vlad disappeared, concern etched on her face.

"Danny? Who were you talking to?"

Danny shrugs nonchalantly, trying to hide how uneasy he is as he starts walking back towards their cabin, Jazz following behind. "Just a fan and the owner of the ship. Vlad's really creepy though, I keep getting a bad feeling from him."

"Who's Vlad?" Danny turns to see a confused frown on Jazz's face and feels his face match it.

"The owner of the ship?" He half asks.

Jazz shakes her head, her confusion deepening. "The ship owner's name is Jon Donner," She tells him.

Danny's brow wrinkles in disbelief, "No, his name is Vlad," He insists.

Jazz walks past him and out on deck, "Someone is obviously lying to you little brother, there's nobody on this ship with the name Vlad."

Danny stands in the middle of the hallway completely stunned. There's no one on the ship with the name Vlad? How is that possible? Then he remembers the other man and runs after his sister, "Is there anyone on the ship named Daniel Baritoni then?" He questions frantically, hoping that something from his experience was true.

Unfortunately, Jazz answers in the negative, "I talk to the ship's captain all the time and he's got a good memory of everyone who comes on the ship. I can ask, but as far as I know you're the only 'Daniel' here Danny."

Danny stares at her, eyes wide. Was he just imagining what he went through? That would explain why Tucker was here. Danny groans, facepalming at his stupidity. Of course he was just imagining it! He didn't have anything to do so his mind came up with something to occupy his time.

"I think the sea air is getting to me," He mumbles as he turns around and walks on autopilot to their cabin.

 **Translations for this chapter**

 **(1) "Buon Signore" means Good sir.**


	5. Singing and nicknames

**Sorry I'm a little late guys, I got a new phone two days ago and I've been trying to get used to it. But anyway! Let's get this show on the road!**

 **Warnings for this chapter: Pitch Pearl fluff, but then you wouldn't be reading this far if you had a problem with that.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the song Nightingale, only this story by the same name.**

 _Danny singing_

 **Phantom singing**

 ** _Line break_**

The next day, Jazz told Danny that there is in fact no Daniel Baritoni in the ship's roster. Danny takes this in stride, already convinced that what happened yesterday was just his imagination, a very overactive one at that.

Later on in the night, Danny is sitting up reading, seeing as his phone was on the fritz and everyone else is asleep. He is using a flashlight, sitting in a chair next to his family's cabin just in case something happened (he may not want to wake up his family with the light but he isn't careless either).

He is trying to focus on a history textbook when he thought he heard something. He tunes in, realizing that, yes, he does hear something. It sounds like a deep voice singing a strange song. The song strikes a chord in Danny, and he finds himself humming along. Finally letting curiosity get the better of him, he puts his book down and follows the voice.

As he gets closer, Danny starts distinguishing words; the song makes him feel such longing that he gets a lump in his throat. When he enters the dining room, the voice stops and Danny nearly cries out at the loss. He walks right up to the piano for the third time this week and, desperate to hear that voice again, he begin to play it. He starts to sing, which is something he'd never done before, as his fingers followed the song.

 _I sleep tonight, wide awake and so confused_

 _Everything's in line, but I am bruised_

 _I need a voice to echo, I need a light to take me home_

He looks around the room, hoping to see something. When nothing happens, he raises his voice a little,

 _I kinda need a hero, is it you?_

 _I've never seen the forest for the trees, I could really use your melody_

 _Baby I'm a little blind, I think it's time, for you to find me~_

Danny continues to play, waiting for the voice to come back, and he doesn't have to wait long, someone wraps their arms around him and rests their chin on his shoulder, singing very lowly in his ear:

 **Can you be my Nightingale?**

 **Sing to me, I know you're there**

 **You could be my sanity, bring me peace, sing me to sleep**

 **Say you'll be my Nightingale~**

Danny lets the song fade off and stands in silence, he wants to see who is holding him but at the same time he doesn't want to ruin the moment. The man behind him seems to be holding his breath, as if waiting for Danny to push him away. Something tickles in the back of Danny's mind, and he realizes what it was; this is familiar, they'd done it before. A scene begins to play in his mind.

 _"Nicknames?" Danny said, his brow raised into his hairline._

 _Daniel nodded as he leaned up against the piano, being careful of the keys._

 _"It would be a way to talk about each other in front of others without them being the wiser, and a way to differentiate between us. I mean, neither of us like to be called Daniel, and we can't go by last names forever."_

 _Danny thought about it for a moment, "But everybody already calls me Danny, so I already have a nickname. I could call you Dan?" Danny offered._

 _Baratoni curled up his nose, "I don't really like that name, otherwise I would have told you to call me that a while back. We need names that only we would call each other, a secret code if you will," The green eyed man smirked, "What about Nightingale for you?"_

 _Danny blanched, "Nightingale? Why Nightingale?" He asked incredulously._

 _The smirk grew bigger as green eyes danced in amusement, "Because you make beautiful music, therefore, you shall be Nightingale."_

 _Danny could see that the other male wasn't going to change his mind, so Danny came back with, "Fine, but I get to call you Phantom," He retorted, a twinkle in his eye._

 _The now dubbed Phantom frowned in confusion, "Why?"_

 _Danny snickered, "Cause whenever I play I always see you out of the corner of my eye, and when I get swarmed by people you disappear without a trace, your hair is white and your eyes seem to glow at times, if it wasn't for the fact that you're warm and I can touch you I would think you were a ghost haunting me."_

 _Phantom shrugged, then a wicked grin spread across his face, "Oh, so you think I'm warm? And my eyes seem to glow, huh?"_

 _Danny's face began to burn and he quickly looked away, rubbing the back of his neck and snapping, "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just stating facts!"_

 _Phantom stepped closer to him, "Oh? Well if we're just stating facts, then what if I say that your eyes rival the ocean in their beauty? Or that your temperament can give anybody whiplash and your smile could out do the sun?"_

 _Danny's face was getting progressively redder as Phantom said these things, then he shook his head and stated, "Then I'd say that you're full of shit and that if you don't get away from me your going to lose the two things that make most women want you: your face, and your ability to produce children."_

 _Phantom grimaced as Danny huffed and walked away._

Danny shakes the vision away, then steps out of the other man's arms. He turns to the ghost, and notices that he can see him better; like a picture slowly coming into focus. He can see the eyes clearly and he can make out little details on the face if he squinted.

"Phantom?"


	6. I kissed a ghost and I liked it, but

**Hello everyone! Sorceress here with a new chapter for your hungry eyes! I can't believe the love I'm getting for this story, and you have no idea how much I appreciate it!**

 **Now let's get this show on the road!**

 **Warnings for this chapter:** **Boys kissing, but you wouldn't be here if that bothered you.**

 ** _Line Break_**

 **Chapter six: I kissed a ghost and I liked it, but...**

Phantom smiles and shakes his head in affirmation. "It's been a long time since we were together like this, hasn't it?" He says almost sadly.

Danny feels his brow wrinkle and crosses his arms, "What do you mean?" He questions, curiosity in his eyes.

Phantom walks over to the piano and leans on it, being careful of the keys, Danny is reminded of the hallucination he had not five minutes ago, and mentally shakes it off, focusing on what Phantom is saying, "We use to meet in a place like this, when everyone else was asleep. This was neutral ground for us."

"Neutral ground?" Danny presses.

Phantom nods, looking around the room as he seemed to lose himself in memory, "If someone came looking for us before we could leave, they would simply see us in here talking like good friends, though that wasn't actually the case," Phantom locks eyes with Danny, the glowing green irises feeling like they were looking straight into his soul. Danny gulps, nervously rubbing his upper arms when a chill runs through him at the intensity, "What was the case, exactly?" The raven asks, his voice becoming quiet as if talking louder would ruin the strange moment the men were having.

Phantom grins wickedly and steps closer to the blue eyed man, Danny's breath hitches and his heart stops before it begins pounding in his chest at a rapid pace when the other man puts his hands on his shoulders. Once again, Danny struggles with himself on whether to push the man away or not. Phantom leans in, his breath ghosting over Danny's lips as he whispers, "Why don't you tell me, Nightingale?" before sealing their lips together.

White hot heat zoomed through Danny from his lips down to his toes and he sighs as the distant thought of 'finally' creeps into his mind. He leans into the kiss and Phantom without missing a beat licks his lower lip, causing Danny to open willingly so he can feel the other's tongue explore the moist cavern of his mouth. Warmth pools in his stomach as Danny's own tongue begins dueling with the ghost's, and something niggles in the back of his mind; asking him why he was doing this with someone who was basically a stranger to him.

'But,' He thinks fuzzily, 'this doesn't feel like a stranger.' It feels good and right so Danny shoves that thought away to be analyzed later.

He grabs the front of Phantom's shirt and deepening the kiss, not wanting it to end. So when Phantom pulls back he groans in protest. Phantom smiles softly and puts a hand on Danny's cheek, thumb moving back and forth over Danny's soft skin as his eyes glow softly with a deep well of love.

"Now do you know why?" He asks.

Danny shakes his head, trying to clear it. He blinks lazily once, twice, before like a switch being flipped or a slap to the face, it dawns on him what really happened. He shoves Phantom away, clenching his fists as anger, fear and betrayal(?) washes over him, "What the hell man!" He whisper shouts just now realizing where he was, "You don't just up and kiss someone! Especially someone you hardly know!"

Phantom frowns in disappointment, "Hardly know you? Danny, I-"

"NO! Just-just stay away from me!" Danny ran out of the dining room, not noticing the look of hurt on Phantom's face.

In the back of his mind, Danny wonders why he should be angry. Sure the kiss seemed to come out of nowhere, but he liked it and that was no reason to feel like he'd been betrayed did it? It wasn't like before- 'NO! Don't think about that!' He thinks as he shakes his head furiously. what confuses Danny the most though is the fact he didn't immediately shove the ghost away like he did before, he didn't even feel slightly disgusted. He did feel terrified though, and even if he can't justify feeling angry and betrayed, when he didn't even know Phantom, he could be scared.

Danny barges into his family's cabin, startling his parents and sister awake, "Mom! Dad! I got kissed by a ghost!"

"GHOST!" Jack shouts, pulling a weapon seemingly out of nowhere as Maddie jumps out of bed and runs to her wide eyed son.

"A ghost kissed you?! Oh my poor baby are you alright? Did it do anything else to you?!" His mother asks rapidly, immediately going into protective parent mode. She looks Danny up and down, noticing Danny's bruised lips and flushed face. She opens his mouth but didn't see anything else out of the ordinary.

"I...don't see anything strange Danny, are you sure it was a ghost?" Maddie says slowly after she was done looking him over. Jazz huffs and walks over, putting her arms around him. He flinches, reminded of Phantom holding him the same way.

"It probably wasn't a ghost Danny, but I will talk to John and tell him to keep a look out in case someone tries something like this again."

"In the meantime, in case it was a ghost, you can wear this!" Jack pulls a green and silver belt out of one of the suitcases, "The Fenton Specter Deflector! Guaranteed to keep any molesting pile of ectoplasm off you!" He wraps the belt around Danny's waist and clicks it closed. A green light comes off of it and Danny feels an odd tingling before it settles.

Danny felt bad for doing this, but he knows that if Phantom, or even Vlad, came around again they won't be able to touch him. Danny's heart clenches painfully at the thought but he ignores it, logically he didn't know Phantom, not really.

According to Vlad, Phantom was the reason that Danny couldn't remember anything before eleven. Danny still feels something isn't quite right about that explanation, but he doesn't have any evidence to disprove it. He could ask Phantom himself, but he is hesitant to do so. Phantom could lie to him, just like Vlad is capable of doing, and after what happened Danny doesn't feel like seeing the ghost again.

He touches his lips, still tasting Phantom on them and he blushes at the tingle that goes down his spine; and not a bad tingle either. No, he definitely doesn't want to see him again for a while.

He ends up staying awake the rest of the night even as his family returns to bed, feeling restless and unable to stop the questions running through his head. Questions that might not be answered for quite some time.

 ** _Line Break_**

 **I apologize for the short chapter, but I promise the next chapter will be much longer. I hope you have a great day/evening, and I'll see you next chapter!**

 **~Sorceress**


	7. Not interested Or I thought I wasn't

**Warnings for this chapter: Slight mention of non/con and some slight angst.**

 **Let's get this show on the road shall we?**

 ** _DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP_**

 **Chapter seven: I'm not interested in anyone. At least, that's what I thought before.**

There was no denying it now, Danny was going nuts.

He is sitting with his family in the dining room one minute, the next they're gone, he happens to glance in a random direction and spots Paulina and and some women sitting two tables away from him in some getup that looked like it came from the late 1930's. Now he knows that Paulina wasn't on the ship before, so why was she here now? Danny closes his eyes and shakes his head, then looks at the same table to find Paulina and the women gone and a couple sitting there staring back at him, looking uncomfortable. Danny blushes realizing that he had probably weirded them out, and grins wryly as he waves at them and they returned it.

"Danny!"

He jumps in his seat and turns his sheepish grin on his elder sibling, "Sorry Jazz, what were you saying?"

Jazz rolls her eyes and gives him a deadpan look, "You were staring at those people for five minutes! Are you thinking about Sam or something?"

Danny glares at her and says irritably, "Sam is like a sister to me! Why is everybody trying to hook us up?!"

Jazz's brow goes into her hairline in confusion as she crosses her arms, "Well, you guys are so close and you'd be good for each other, and from what Tucker told me, you two _did_ kiss, so..."

"I'm going to kill him," Danny mutters under his breath before raising his voice again, "That was just an experiment! Nothing came out of that, not even a spark!"

Maddie points her fork in his direction, "Well what about Valerie? Weren't you two dating for a while?"

"And didn't you have a crush on that Sanchez girl when you were just starting highschool?" Jack adds.

Danny growls, gripping his knees under the table in annoyance, "Okay one, I didn't have a crush on Paulina, that was Tucker, and two I pretended to go out with Valerie because there was some creep that wouldn't leave her alone and we thought that was the only way to get him to back off."

Jazz gets a funny look on her face, "So you never had any interest in girls...what about boys?"

An image of glowing emerald eyes flashes through Danny's mind before he brutally shoves it away, "No, no boys either! I'm not interested in anyone!" He insists, his mother however caught the slight hesitance and gave him a sympathetic glance.

"Sweetie, your father and I aren't going to think less of you if you're attracted to boys, if there's someone you're interested in then tell us."

Danny abruptly stands, slamming his hands on the table, "I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANYONE SO WOULD YOU ALL KINDLY _FUCK OFF_!"

Silence reigns heavily in the room at Danny's outburst. Face red, Danny runs out of the dining room, ignoring his parents and sister as they call out to him. He runs out on deck and goes into a quiet place behind some boxes of cargo he'd discovered a couple of days back so no one would see him.

He leans against the railing and breathes heavily, trying to calm down. He probably shouldn't have yelled, definitely shouldn't have cussed at his parents, but as much as they try to be understanding, Danny can't tell them he is interested in a ghost. He couldn't even understand it himself, how would his parents, who believed that all ghosts were ectoplasmic scum and evil, possibly understand when he himself doesn't?

It's not like he hadn't _tried_ to find someone. When he was thirteen Sam had asked him to kiss her and he obliged, since everyone seemed so gung-ho about them being a good match for each other he wanted to see what everyone else saw in them. But there was nothing; no warm tingle, no 'this is the one', just detachment. Sam seemed disappointed when he told her this and they ended up avoiding each other for a while before one day she came up to him and admitted that she didn't feel anything either.

They had decided to stay friends, though Tucker and everybody else wouldn't stop thinking one day they _would_ end up together. 'Oh they were only kids,' They'd say, 'of course they didn't feel anything, give it a few years and they'll be all over each other!'

Danny scoffs. Tucker had even placed a bet with the other kids on whether or not he and Sam would admit it, too bad he lost that bet when everybody finally figured out there really _was_ nothing between them, though it did take a few years unfortunately.

Then when he was fourteen and had started highschool, Paulina Sanchez made her dramatic appearance. From day one she was on top of the social ladder, queen of the A-listers and one of the most bangable girls of Casper High, though Danny couldn't see why. All he saw was a stuck up rich bitch that took great enjoyment out of making everyone feel less about themselves.

He disliked her from the get-go, but Tucker wouldn't shut up about her and since everyone was assuming that Danny and Sam were 'lovebirds', Danny in his fourteen year old logic pretended to have a crush on Paulina so they would lay off, going to the extent of humiliating himself in front of the entire school and earning the titles klutz and 'so desperate to get laid he'd drop his pants after saying hello.'

His highschool career ended before it even began and the jocks definitely helped with that. If it wasn't for his friends Sam, Tucker and Valerie and his dream of being an astronaut he may have dropped out.

Speaking of Valerie, he wasn't lying to his family about that either. In his sophomore year, a new guy had transfered into Casper high calling himself Gregor. Even Sam went out with him for a couple of weeks before finding out that all he wanted was to get into her pants (though, now that Danny thinks about it, it probably didn't help the rumors of Sam and Danny being an item with him following them on their dates). When Sam dumped him 'Gregor', who's actual name was Elliot, targeted the A-list girls and Valerie in particular. After her dad got demoted, she got kicked out of the popular squad and Elliot still went after her.

When Danny and Valerie became friends, Valerie asked him to pretend to be her boyfriend so Elliot would leave her alone. Danny had ended up breaking Elliot's nose when he grabbed her arm while they were walking to class. Danny got let off because he was protecting Valerie, and Elliot got transferred to a different school. The two had been close ever since.

Then, when Danny turned seventeen, a rumor started going around that he was gay. Danny didn't confirm nor deny the rumor, thinking that it would go away after a while, not realizing the extent that the jocks would go to torture him.

Dash Baxter himself did it, cornering Danny in the boys locker room and basically forcing his tongue in the raven's mouth. The feeling of wrongness was so intense that Danny took time off of school for a week, during which he showered five times a day and brushed his teeth until they bled, thinking 'WRONG, WRONG, WRONG' over and over again.

He even went to Jazz for therapy; and by that he meant he cried and spouted nonsense as she held and rocked him in her room. When Danny asked her what he told her later, since he was so out of it at the time, she said that he told her what happened, and said it wasn't _him_ , which confused him and even now Danny couldn't tell you who 'him' was.

His friends came over to check on him and he told them what happened too. Sam and Valerie looked about ready to hit something when they found out, especially when Tucker clued them all in on something.

 ** _Line break_**

 _It was a dare?!" Sam screeched, gritting her teeth so hard Danny thought she might crack a tooth._

 _"Yeah, the whole football team was in on it, I heard the A-listers talking about it," Tucker inched away from the girls, a dark aura so thick around them that the boys could see it. "Paulina and Star were laughing their asses off, saying that Danny probably liked it so much he had to go home from passing out."_

 _"So I like feeling violated is that it?! How does that make any sense?" Danny shivered and turned green just thinking about it, "Is it really so hard to think I'm not interested in dating or sex? And why Dash?! If it had to be anyone why that jackass?!"_

 _Tucker shrugged, typing away on his new iPhone as he said with slight bitterness, "It was was either going to be Dash or Wes Weston, Dash must of gotten the short end of the stick."_

 _"So how are we gonna get 'em back?" Valerie said cracking her knuckles, a vengeful gleam in her eye._

 _A sly smile appeared on Tucker's face, "Don't worry about that, I already handled it."_

 _"How?" Danny said with a suspicious frown._

 _Tucker's grin went from sly to positively smug as he tapped a button on his phone, "Can you say, viruses on their phones and computers that can sense when they get new tech and move to the new ones regardless of ID changes? And sending out emails to the football team and coach supposedly from the school board, saying that if the team bullies anyone they'll lose their scholarship?"_

 _"What if the school board finds out about the fake emails? Or the A-listers find out where the viruses came from?" Valerie questioned with hands on her hips and brow quirked._

 _Tucker scoffed, rolling his eyes, "You don't know me well enough do you? My viruses are untraceable and so are the emails, if they try tracking them, they would find a fake account that's been deactivated for years."_

 _"Tucker, you scare me sometimes," Danny commented as he glanced warily at his best friend, "But, if it works, I won't have to worry about the jocks for the rest of highschool," They all grinned at the thought._

 ** _Line break_**

Danny chuckles at the memory. When he went back to school, the popular kids were all in a panic. Some even had to call their parents on a land line (well, the kids who could remember the phone numbers anyway) demanding they find out where the viruses and emails came from. It was such chaos that none of the A-listers even thought about Danny or the other geeks and nerds again.

Needless to say, Danny managed to graduate with no more problems and grades just high enough to go to college so he could get into the space program. He also graduated thinking that he was aromantic, that is, until now.

When Phantom started showing up, Danny felt something he'd never thought he'd feel: attraction. He felt safe with Phantom, and when Phantom kissed him, it felt like they had kissed a thousand times before.

Danny absently puts his hand on the Specter Deflector, tracing the lines on the silver and green belt. He started wearing it because it made a barrier between himself and Phantom, but he has started getting second thoughts. Sure Phantom and Vlad couldn't touch him, but then again, _Phantom couldn't touch him_. Lately he finds that he wants the green eyed devil to touch him, to hold him again, to...kiss him again. "Get it together Fenton!" Danny mumbles angrily, "You don't even know him! Why would you want these things from a complete stranger..."

Danny sighs and looks out into the distance. He senses eyes on him, but refuses to turn around; he knows exactly who it is. He stands with the other in complete silence, just staring out at the sunset as it casts the scene in deep shades of blue, pink, orange and purple. A romantic scene, but neither person feels the mood at the moment.

Finally breaking the silence, Danny says, "What are you doing here?"

Phantom continues to gaze at Danny, making pleasurable shivers run up the blue eyed boy's back which he tries to ignore, "You say that you don't know me, but you do."

Danny huffs and rubs his eyes, tired of repeating himself, "No, I don't Phantom, I've never met you 'till now."

Phantom walks closer, but makes sure to keep space between himself and the blue eyed man, "Yes you did, you met me long ago, before you were born."

Danny turns and glares hard at Phantom, shoulders tense and back ramrod straight with hands clenched at his sides, "That's not possible."

Phantom sighs and shakes his head, neon green eyes dim in sadness, "I'm not lying to you, we met on this ship long ago amore, back when you were a ship pianist under Vlad's thumb and I was a Marchese's heir trying to escape my future."

Danny's eyes widen as he remembers his first hallucination. He takes a step back and shakes his head in denial, "That's not true! You're lying!" Danny gives him a look of accusation as he says wildly," You're doing this, you're giving me these hallucinations so you can trick me!"

Phantom's eyes widen, "Hallucinations?" He asks, startled.

Danny takes another step back, forgetting the railing behind him, "With the piano, and the names and seeing people who aren't even there, your doing this!" Danny exclaims, "You're a ghost, how do I know that's not one of your powers?!" Danny points at Phantom, anger and fear in his eyes.

Phantom steps forward putting his hands up in a calming gesture, "Danny I'm not the one causing that! Please, amore-"

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Not even realizing that he understood the endearment, Danny does one final step back before teetering and falling over the rail. He screams in fear and braces himself for the plunge, before he realizes he suddenly isn't falling anymore.

Danny slowly opens his eyes, seeing Phantom's face and feeling the ghost's arms on his back and behind his knees. He then notices that they are floating in midair, 10 feet between the ocean and under the place he fell.

'He...he saved me?' Danny thought. He remembered his parents saying that ghosts took pleasure in destruction and havoc, so why was this one helping him? He would think that Phantom would laugh as Danny plunged into the unforgiving ocean, not save him from death. Phantom starts to slowly float back up to the deck, seeming to be in a lot of pain which also shouldn't be possible according to his parents. It takes a bit but Danny finally realized why that is.

'The Specter Deflector!' Danny feels his heart squeeze painfully at the thought of Phantom hurting. He reaches down to remove the device, but draws his hands back hissing when the belt shocks him. Ignoring the sting of the burns on his fingers, he tries again, this time able to get the belt off and letting it fall in the ocean.

Phantom lands on deck and gently puts Danny down before collapsing. "Phantom!" Danny cries as he kneels down next to the ghost, clasping his hand in his own.

Phantom smiles shakily, "Are you alright, Danny?"

"Don't worry about me! Are you going to be alright?" Danny asks, eyes filled with concern.

Phantom chuckles, his form fizzing like bad TV reception, "I'll be fine, though I'm afraid I won't be able to help you as much as I'd like for a while."

Danny's frowns, his brow wrinkling, "What do you mean?"

"I've been keeping that shadow away from you all this time...he has been after you, since before you were born, and especially now..."

Danny squeezes the ghost's hand, "Phantom, you need to rebuild your energy, don't worry about me," Danny glances away for a moment before locking their eyes together, "I'll find a way to keep Vlad away."

Phantom gazes into Danny's eyes, seeing the determination in them. He smiles and tightens his grip slightly on Danny's hands, "I know you will. You've always been strong," He sighs, using what strength he has left to lift his hand to Danny's face, as he seems fond of doing.

This time, Danny leans into the touch, subconsciously needing the comfort. Phantom's smile grows ever so slightly as he says, "Even if you don't remember me, it seems your heart does. I'll return soon, my Nightingale," He fades away.

Danny stays on his knees for a long time after, before standing and putting on a grim scowl. His cheeks feel tight so he rubs a hand across his face, not realizing that he'd been crying. He takes a deep breath and begins looking for his parents to explain what happened to the Specter Deflector and to ask for another weapon to defend himself.

Better to be safe than sorry after all.


	8. Learning comes in different forms

**Warnings for this chapter:** **There is a slight molestation scene in this chapter. It's not too bad, but if scenes like that make you uncomfortable, the beginning and end of the scene will be marked with three XXX like so.**

 ** _DPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDPDP_**

 **Chapter eight: Learning comes in different forms.**

 _"Can you teach me Italian, Phantom?"_

 _Phantom and Danny were the last ones in the dining room after a long_ _day,_ _Phantom was still at one of the tables relaxing when Danny asked the question. Phantom turned around in his chair and smirked, "Is there a reason why you want to learn one of the most romantic languages in the world that also happens to be my first language?"_

 _Danny blushed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Uh...I...n-no reason..."_

 _The white haired male chuckled, eyes twinkling, "Do you wish to sing sweet nothings to me amore?" He stood, walking over and tilted Danny's head up. Danny glared at him for the image now stuck in his head._

 _"No! I just want to learn! Vlad only taught me English, I wanna learn other languages too!"_

 _Phantom furrowed his brow, eyes now filled with confusion, "He only taught you one language? What if I didn't speak English and you had to talk to me? You wouldn't be able to understand me!"_

 _Danny shrugged and looked away as Phantom stepped back. "I'm not really supposed to be talking to you anyway, I'm only allowed to talk to the staff on the ship, so..."_

 _Phantom pursed his lips, looking determined, "Hmm, well, he's just going to have to get use to you talking to me then," He held out a hand, a wide grin on his face as his emerald eyes twinkled, "Come on, I'll teach you Italian."_

 _A bright smile spread across the raven's face as he grabbed Phantom's hand, "Yes! Thank you!"_

 _Phantom lead Danny to his cabin, the walls of the hall made of a dark polished wood while the floor had a thin green carpet that crawled all the way down the hall. Lights were perched on the walls, as well as some pictures, but Danny payed them no mind, he never did._

 _They passed ten or fifteen doors before they arrived at Phantom's cabin, the numbers 724 displayed proudly on the dark polished wood in gold paint. Phantom opened the door and Danny smiled._

 _It was a simple room really, the bed was large and sat in the middle of the back wall, a nightstand rested on one side of the bed and the floor was covered in green carpeting. On the opposite side of the bed stood a dresser and at the foot was a large chest. An open door a few feet away from the dresser revealed a bathroom that Danny didn't take a real good look at._

 _Phantom smiled as well and nudged Danny so he'd walk inside. The black haired teen mock glared at him while Phantom chuckled and raised his hands in surrender._

 _Phantom gestured Danny to sit on the bed, which the raven hesitantly does. He glanced around the room a little before looking at Phantom, biting his lip a little before saying, "Okay, so...how do we do this?"_

 _The other man choked and Danny raised a brow. Clearing his throat, Phantom said, "How about we start with phases that you'd use everyday and work from there?"_

 _Danny nodded, deciding to not question the white haired man's behavior. "Okay."_

 ** _Don't you just love these disruptive line breaks?_**

 _After three hours of Danny butchering phrases, complaining every now and then and Phantom patiently correcting him and giving encouragement, Danny was finally able to speak Italian with only a couple of stutters if he spoke very slowly. Phantom clapped in enthusiasm, grinning broadly._ _"That was very good Danny! If you keep going you could speak Italian almost as good as me!"_

 _"Oh, **almost** as good, huh?" Danny snarked as he crossed his arms, pretending to be offended._

 _Phantom smirked, "Italian is my first language, my dear Nightingale. I would be surprised if you could speak as well as a native such as myself."_

 _"Oh really?" The raven replied as he grinned back, "What if I could learn it and speak it as well as any native in Italy? What will you give me?"_

 _Phantom tapped his chin in thought, "Well, if you were able to speak it as well as any native, I'll take you off this boat to site see." He said, a challenge in his eyes._

 _Danny's own eyes went wide, his breath hitching in his throat as he thought of the prospect. But he didn't want to get his hopes up just yet. "Vlad doesn't let me off the ship, and even if he did where would you take me?"_

 _Phantom smiled a bit and hummed, though there was a slight twitch under his eye._ _"Well, first I would take you to Pisa, then Venice, and maybe my home city Florance." He counted off on his fingers before he leaned forward a little, "Is that enough incentive for you?"_

 _Danny's eyes widened again in disbelief, "You'd really do that?" He exclaimed with an excited grin before he shook his head and backtracked, "I-I mean you don't have to-"_

 _"No! I insist!" Green eyes softened as they met startled blue, "You said you haven't been off the boat, yes?"_

 _The raven's shoulders slumped, eyes downcast._ _"Vlad says it's to protect me. I was a pickpocket when he took me in, if I get off the ship then they'll probably kill me or send me to die in the workhouses."_

 _He shook his head and forced a smile, "Besides! It's not all bad! Sure I have to do odd jobs on the ship and Vlad wants me for things-" Danny's breath caught as he froze in horror at what he said before he bit his lip and glanced away. Unfortunately, Phantom seen this and his eyes narrowed._

 _"What? He 'wants you for things'?" He took a deep breath, "What 'things'?"_

 _Danny just sat in silence, studying the green carpet that looked **very** interesting all of a sudden._

 _Phantom sighed, "Danny, what 'things'?"_

 _Danny started fidgeting, biting his lip and looking anywhere but at Phantom. "Uh...not-not bad things, I wouldn't say they're bad, just..."_

 _"Just?" Phantom prodded gently, his face carefully blank._

 _Danny fixed his eyes on his hands that were resting in his lap. "Just... uncomfortable, I guess? My friend says that what he does is wrong, but..." he shrugged, "Sometimes it feels..." Danny finally locked his eyes on Phantom's, making the other man jump at the desperation that must have been in them. "Is...is it wrong that I think it feels good sometimes?" Danny asked his eyes wide and frantic. 'Please don't think I'm a freak, please...' He thought over and over._

 _Phantom's brow furrowed deeply as his knuckles on his knees turned white and his eyes flashed in rage, making the blue eyed man flinch at the intensity, thinking that his friend was disgusted with him now. Seeing this, Phantom visibly shoved his anger down and said firmly, "Danny, as long as I'm here I won't let him hurt you like that, you have my word." He put his hand on Danny's shoulder, startling the musician when he thought that the man was going to throw him out, "And to answer your question, yes, what he's doing is very wrong. He doesn't let you leave the boat, he makes you play piano, he only taught you one language and now this. You shouldn't let him do that."_

 _Choosing to focus on the smaller issue in that lecture, Danny glared slightly, "He's not forcing me to play piano, I asked him to let me play it. I wouldn't have discovered my talent if it wasn't for him." He sighed, his eyes downcast once more, "I would have nothing if it wasn't for him. Even if what he does is wrong, even if I'm not happy, I owe him so much." He shook his head and fixed a hard look on Phantom._

 _"And you can't stay on this ship forever, you'll have to get off sometimes. And your an heir! You can't focus on someone like me, it would ruin your reputation!"_

 _Phantom glared back at Danny, finally letting his temper go. "I don't care! I'll protect you as long as I can and you can't stay here forever either! He might not be forcing you to play piano, but he should have helped you out of the kindness of his heart!" He shook his head, gritting his teeth and trying to calm himself, "He shouldn't have helped you because of some...some kind of attraction he has for you! You aren't some **whore** he can play around with!"_

 _Danny flinched at the venomous tone at the end, then stood feeling his own rage take over._

 _"I never said I was a-that I was that! I fight him, I avoid him the best I can! But as I told my friend, he could make us disappear and no one would wonder about us!" He deflated, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. He felt tears coming and hid his face in his hands._

 _"Even if I could leave, where would I go? There's no where I **could** go that he can't find me. He has connections everywhere, he makes a point of telling me this all the time." His voice cracked as he tried to hold back his sobs._

 _There was no point in crying over something that couldn't be helped, Danny kept telling himself. He was the one who got himself into this by putting his trust in Vlad in the first place and looking to the man for protection and guidance. Danny made his metaphorical bed, and now he's laying in it._

 _He heard a soft rustling noice and felt himself being pulled into a hug. Danny tensed before relaxing and hugging him back, wanting the comfort._

 _"You can come with me, if you want." Phantom offered moving his hand up and down Danny's back soothingly, "I have connections as well. Trust me, he'd never be able to get to us._ "

 _Danny rested his chin on the other man's shoulder, heart thumping from the contact and the tenderness of Phantom's words. But as much as he wanted to take the offer... "I don't want him to hurt you Phantom. You're...you're too important to me, you are the first friend I have ever had that wasn't part of the ship crew."_

 _Phantom tightened his grip on Danny, "Don't worry about me, My Nightingale, that cazzo stronzo(1) won't be able to hurt me," He pulled back a little and smiled, emerald green eyes shining with confidence, "I'm an heir, remember?"_

 _Danny smiled back and sniffled a little, maybe he would be alright. "Yeah, I g-"_

 _"DANIEL! WHERE ARE YOU?!"_

 _Both males jumped at the booming voice, Phantom in surprise at the vehemence of the voice, Danny in fear of being caught. Danny pulled away, the mood gone._

 _"I gotta go." He went to the door, but paused when he put his hand on the knob. He stood for a moment, a deep frown on his face before he softly asked, "You said you'd take me to your home...Florance right?"_

 _Phantom said in a slightly teasing tone, "Yes, if you can speak as good as any native," Then he said seriously, "If you want me to get you out of here I will, and I'll take you to Florence."_

 _Danny chuckled, a bitter edge to it, "Heh, maybe one day huh?" He opened the door and left._

 ** _Cause I sure do..._**

Danny wakes up feeling as bitter and helpless as he felt at the end of his dream. He gets dressed and steps outside of his cabin, walking through the hallway and into the dining room. He spots Jazz at a table that was right next to the piano, reading a book and seeming to tune out the world.

Needing some sense of familiar company despite his mood, he huffs and walks over to the table, sitting next to his sister, not bothering to even get a cup of coffee. Things were quiet until Jazz looks up from her book and glances at Danny. Seeing the scowl on his face, she puts her book down and turns in her chair so she can have her full attention on him.

"Something bothering you little brother?"

Danny just shakes his head, refusing to speak.

Jazz continues to stare at him, then sighs, figuring that he was going to make her figure it out herself. "Is someone bothering you again?"

Another negative.

"Is it the hallucinations you've been having" The orange haired woman prods.

Danny bites his lip, then shakes his head again, albeit hesitantly.

Jazz quirks a brow, "Are you having those dreams about Dash again?" Forceful head shake this time. "But it is about a dream isn't it?"

Nothing this time. She'd hit the nail on the head.

Jazz huffs, thinking she had the patience of a saint at this point. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Non c'è niente di cui parlare Jazz, che era solo un sogno.(2)" Danny says crossly. Jazz frowned.

"Was that Italian?"

The Raven haired man raises a brow, "What?"

"You just spoke in Italian. I should know, I have a friend on Skype that slips into it on occasion when we talk." Jazz told him.

Danny groans and hides his face in his hands, mumbling darkly into them. Jazz caught the word 'dream' in the foreign language and a couple of phrases that causes her to cringe at the descriptiveness of them.

"From what I gather, you think the dream is making you speak Italian?" She comments leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Again with the silence. Jazz rolls her eyes, "You're gonna have to talk about it sometime, Danny. You're becoming stressed out, which isn't good for you, I can help you out."

Danny bangs his fists on the table, gritting his teeth in frustration, "How can you help me Jazz? How could you possibly help when you don't understand?!"

"I could try! Come on Danny, you use to tell me everything!" Jazz shouts.

"There is nothing to talk about Jazz! Let it go already!"

Jazz sits in silence as Danny puffs out a breath and leaves, regretting even going into the dining room in the first place. He starts wondering on the ship, not realizing that he'd been going down a certain hallway. He happens to glance up and finds himself standing in front of a dark wood door with the number 724 in chipping gold paint on it.

Danny pauses, debating with himself on whether or not to go in. He then mentally slaps himself, hard.

'What the hell am I doing?! This is some one else's room, not mine! I can't believe I thought that!'

He sighs, slouching his shoulders and still feeling drained. "What's happening to me? I have more sense than this! Maybe I am losing my mind..."

"Oh, perish the thought."

Danny tenses, eyes narrow as they dart around the hall. "Where are you, come out and fight me asshole!"

"Really Daniel, such a foul mouth. I thought you were better than that."

Danny twists and turns, Vlad's voice seeming to come from everywhere. He pulls out an ecto pistol and points it every which way, "Yeah? Well at least I'm not a coward! What's the matter, Fruitloop? Too weak to even show your face?" He stabs maliciously.

The area becomes very quiet, the air heavy making Danny sweat as he holds the gun tighter in his shaking hands. He starts to think that egging on this creature was probably a very bad idea. Danny carefully makes his way down the hall to the dining room, at least what he thinks is the dining room, when he gets tackled and pushed up against the wall, losing his grip on the pistol and hearing it clatter away. He comes face to face with a wraith version of Vlad, sneering at him with a dangerous gleam in his eye.

"You were so desperate to see me Little Badger? Funny thing about ghosts that I'm sure you've forgotten: you can't touch me, but I most certainly can touch you..." A wicked grin twists the ghosts face and Danny pales at the suggestive purr at the end of that sentence.

XXX

Vlad uses one hand to trap Danny's wrists above his head as the other slowly slides down his chest. Danny's eyes widen, his pupils contracting to tiny pin pricks as the ghost puts a hand up the raven's shirt, way too close to the waistband of his pants for comfort. He begins to struggle, legs kicking at the thing holding him but getting no impact. Vlad chuckles as whimpering sounds come out of the blue eyed boy's throat.

"I always did love when you resisted Daniel, though it was so much sweeter when you were a good little boy and took it. Tell me dear boy, will you scream my name? Call me your Master?"

Danny struggles harder, Vlad's honeyed words making his stomach churn as the ice spiders crawl wherever Vlad touches. He's mind going a million miles a minute screaming, _'No no no not again wrong wrong wrong this is wrong no please not him this is wrong wrong wrong'_

Vlad reaches inside Danny's pants at the same time he crushes their lips together with a bruising force, 'wrong wrong wrong its not him its not Phantom **GeT aWaY fRoM mE!!!'**

XXX

A bright blue light appears behind his eyes and Danny distantly hears Vlad scream as the light bursts. He falls to the floor and curls in on himself, thoughts still jumbled.

As he becomes aware of his surroundings, he also becomes aware of Vlad cursing and hissing in pain. He glances up and his blurry vision focuses on the thing, now nothing more than a shadow fading in and out of existence.

"God damn cheese logs how is it possible?! How could you be getting your power back?!" Danny blankly stares at him, still not quite comprehending what is going on. He looks around and sees scorch marks on the floor. Danny follows them with his eyes to find the mark rings around him on the wall and floor, about a foot out from him.

"Did...did I do this?" He asks faintly. Vlad snarls so Danny whips his head back to look at him.

"Oh, and this is just perfect! You're getting your abilities back and yet you still have no idea how they work?! Am I that pathetic?!"

The shadow flickers in and out again as Danny watches, slowly coming back to his senses. "Wait, what do you mean abilities? How did I do this?"

Vlad scoffs, solid red eyes narrowing to slits, "As if I would just tell you! This isn't like one of your precious comic books Daniel, I'm not going to give you all the answers. However, I will tell you this," Vlad smirks, "If you don't find the answers before this ship leaves the Triangle it will be the end, one way, or another." Vlad laughs manically as he fades. Danny stares at the spot that Vlad was before he finally snaps out of it completely and grits his teeth.

"HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO FIGURE THIS SHIT OUT IN THREE DAYS?!"

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) Cazzo stronzo, Fucking asshole**

 **(2) "Non c'è niente di cui parlare Jazz, che era solo un sogno." There's nothing to talk about Jazz, it was just a dream.**

 **A/N I would like to thank PsychePetras for letting me know about my error in grammar. the word has sense been changed.**

 **Edited: 7-14-17**


	9. Revelations

**Warnings for this chapter: A heavy makeout between boys coming your way this chapter**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter nine: Revelations**

Danny storms into his cabin and slams the door, locking it behind him. He paces the floor between the two beds, having enough sense about him to avoid running into the nightstand between them and the dresser across from them.

He runs his fingers violently through his hair, his mind going over what happened just a few minutes ago. Did he really do that? Did he have some weird ghost deterrent ability that he wasn't aware of? Was he even human at this point?!

"Of course your human, why would you be anything else?"

Danny yelps, nearly jumping out of his skin at the familiar voice. "You said you'd be gone for a while!"

Phantom grins a little at Danny's reaction from his spot on one of the beds, "I thought so as well, but I heard you call me."

Danny wrinkled his brow, "Call you? When did-" He eyes become the size of dinner plates before he shivers.

Phantom notices this and looks confused for a moment, before it dawns on him what might have happened. He clenches his fists and scowls, gritting his teeth in anger.

"It was him wasn't it? I should have came sooner, but something held me back! It was only now that I was able to break out of the Inbetween and form."

Danny doesn't dare look at him, feeling as if he'd failed, "Vlad...he uh..." He feel sick to his stomach, "All I could think about was..." He trails off, his cheeks stained a slight pink.

Phantom stands and pulls Danny into a hug, "I'm sorry Danny, I should have came sooner. But how did you get away?" His eyes widen in horror, "Vlad didn't-"

"No!" Danny almost shouts pulling away, "I-I...he said something about powers? I don't..."

Phantom's mouth drops, "Your abilities are returning?" A big grin stretches across his face, eyes glowing brighter. "That is extremely good news amore!"

Danny is even more confused, "What abilities?" He runs a hand through his hair and sat on the bed, "All I know is that I blasted Vlad into the wall!"

Phantom becomes serious again, "What were you thinking when it happened?"

Danny blushes and rubs the back of his neck, "I wanted him to get away from me." He says purposely leaving the part about Phantom out.

The white haired male nods, "Very understandable, what did you see though?"

Danny sighs, " I had my eyes closed, so I don't know exactly what happened. I saw a bright blue light though, why? Is it important?"

Phantom hums and scratches his chin, "That could be anything then, your powers began developing in this life when you were young, they were light blue, like mine was always light green. Why would they be returning now though?" He begins to pace the same track Danny did when he first came into the room.

Danny watches him before he sighs and rolls his eyes, pulling his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees. Phantom stops pacing and huffs, "Let's not worry about the why right now, the important thing is that they are returning and that your safe right?" He concludes grinning.

Danny smiles back, a light blush coloring his cheeks before a question comes to mind, "Why don't you have an accent anymore?"

Phantom looks at him in surprise at the sudden change of subject, "Accent?"

Danny nods, "Yeah," the black haired teen tilts his head, "Aren't you Italian?"

Phantom froze, blinking owlishly at the blue eyed man. He couldn't let his hopes get the better of him though, not quite yet so he tries something.

"Vi ricordate la spilla che ti ho dato?(1)"

Danny furrows his brow at the question before a flash of a pin came to mind, making him smile slightly, "It was a bird right?" He flushes deeply, "A-a Nightingale..."

Phantom smiles softly before coming over and sitting beside Danny on the bed. He goes to put his arms around the raven, but pauses, wondering if Danny was going to push him away. The teen in question hesitates before nodding slightly.

Phantom pulls him into his lap, Danny squeaking in indignation before he settles, face red. Phantom hides his face in the crook of the other man's neck, "You're starting to remember...then there is hope after all..."

The blue eyed boy sighs before he returns the hug, "Hope for what Phantom?" He whispers.

Phantom shakes his head, refusing to look up, "If you can't remember...remember how we were before..." His grip tightens on Danny as he starts trembling, "If I wasn't distracted then none of this would have happened! That bastard..." He starts swearing in Italian, self-loathing coming off him in waves and causing the lights in the cabin to flicker.

Danny looks at Phantom in concern before tilting his chin up and kissing him on the cheek, blushing at his own thoughtless action. The green eyed man blinks at the move before bringing a hand to the back of Danny's head. Blue eyes met green as Phantom slowly pulls Danny closer, sealing their lips together.

Danny squeaks in alarm, eyes wide in shock. A blush stains his cheeks as he closes his eyes and pulls Phantom closer.

Phantom smiles a little as he slides his tongue across Danny's lips, asking for entrance. Danny opens his mouth, moaning as he slid his fingers into white hair. Before they could go any further though, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Danny? Are you alright? Why did you lock the door?"

Danny jumps and pulls away at the sound of his mother's voice, panting slightly and vaguely hearing Phantom curse behind him. Quickly, he regains his composure, "I'm alright mom! Just..." He glances at the bathroom door, "Getting ready to take a shower!"

They hear a hum from the other side of the door, "Then why did you lock the cabin door and not the one for the bathroom?" A slight pause, "Is...is there someone in there with you? I thought I heard talking."

Danny panics a little before taking a deep breath, "Just muttering to myself mom!"

"Uh...okay..." His mother said sounding a little off-put, "Well just don't take too long sweetie! Dinner's going to be served in half an hour!"

"Okay mom!" Danny rolls his eyes, before Maddie adds firmly,

"And don't think you're skipping out on it this time! I know you haven't eaten all day! If you're not there, I'll have your father come back here and drag you to the dining room!"

Danny growls to himself, "Okay! I get it! I'll be there!"

Footsteps walking away are heard. Danny plops down on the second bed, crossing his arms and huffing in annoyance. Phantom clears his throat awkwardly saying, "Well...your mother was always a...very strong-willed woman. That much has never changed."

Danny glances over and gives him a light glare, "Come here. Now."

Phantom jerks at the harsh tone before hesitantly standing and walking over to the irritated boy. "Uh...yes?" He asks cautiously.

Danny grins wickedly before grabbing the ghost boy's waist and forcing him down onto his lap with a yelp. He doesn't give Phantom a chance to react or pull away before kissing him. Phantom's eyes widen before a moan escapes him, slowly closing them and pulling Danny flush against him. Danny moves his hands from Phantom's waist up his back before using his dull nails to scrape along the other teen's spine.

Phantom gasps, unintentionally opening his mouth. His hands go up and thread through Danny's hair, tugging slightly. Danny takes the opportunity and deepens the kiss. He flicks his tongue inside Phantom's mouth, coaxing the ghost into a fight while moving his hands back up, scraping his nails down the other's back again.

Phantom arches his back, hands tugging harder at the raven's scalp, just hard enough to be pleasurable. Danny moans and pulled Phantom closer, if that were possible. He nips the white haired male's bottom lip before going back into the kiss.

Phantom groans and digs his nails into Danny's scalp. The teen moans quietly and runs his tongue over the ghost's before said ghost starts fighting back. He yanks on the blue eyed boy's hair and pushes back, smirking slightly around the kiss as he gains access. The smirk is gone however, when Danny starts sucking on his tongue.

The white haired teen groans before pulling back, panting and shaking his head.

"If we continue...I might not be able to resist." He says, his accent now coming in thick as he pants.

Despite the situation, Danny smirks before pecking him on the lips, "Does that mean you find me irresistible?" He purrs with a seductive look in his eye.

Phantom chuckles, an ironic edge laced in it, "Ho sempre trovato irresistibile mio caro(2)," He says heatedly before switching back to English, "But now, unfortunately, is not the time. We wouldn't want you're parents breaking down the door would we?"

Danny blushes at the thought, "Yeah, that would be...very not good."

Phantom gives him one last kiss on the forehead before getting off the teen's lap. A grin on his face as he comments, "You were always so cute when you blushed, amore mio."

The raven's blush darkens as he glares at the ghost, "Don't you have something better to do than mock me?" He huffs.

Phantom chuckles again, "I don't mock you Nightingale, I only state the truth. I have never felt the need to lie to you." He becomes serious once more, "You need to unlock your memories cara mio, from this life and the last, or else your abilities will rebound and destroy you from the inside."

Danny stares in shock at the drastic mood change and gulps, "And uh...how exactly do I do that?"

Phantom taps his chin in thought before saying, "Perhaps if we find a way to trigger it, it will come back on its own. I could even tell you things to jog your memory, if that helps," The look on his face darkens, "Despite what that puntura ombra(3) thinks, I am helping you. Now that your powers are returning I have to."

Danny is still confused, but nods anyway, "Alright," He crosses his legs, "What do you want to tell me first?"

The ghost smiles. There definitely was some hope after all.

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) "Vi ricordate la spilla che ti ho dato?" Do you remember the pin I gave you?**

 **(2) "Ho sempre trovato irresistibile mio caro," I have always found you irresistible my dear.**

 **(3) Puntura ombra, translates as Prick shadow, Phantom basically called Vlad a Shadow prick or shadowy prick, which was more what I was going for.**


	10. Jazz on the case!

**Warnings for this chapter: None**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter ten: Jazz on the case!**

The next day, Danny's parents were convinced that Danny had finally lost it. Danny would be seen talking to thin air, laughing at nothing, and often blushing for no reason.

His mother had often told Danny to stop, saying that there was nothing there and when Danny did actually tell his family about what he had learned, Maddie would flat out tell him to stop making up stories while his father would look at him worriedly. From what Jazz has seen, Danny went through several stages after that; snapping at his mother, shouting at thin air, and finally closing himself off and not saying anything to anyone.

Strange things had started happening on the ship as well, usually in places where Danny hung around. Things like lights flickering, things getting moved or going missing all together, and one time, the cabin the Fenton's stayed in got ransacked while Danny was in one of his moods and had locked the door. Jack had heard crashing noises in the room and literally broke down the door to get in.

The bed frames were demolished, mattresses flipped over and bed clothes torn to shreds, the table lamp was smashed and light bulbs in the wall lamps were busted. The nightstand was flipped over and the dresser had a huge dent in it. Wallpaper was burned off the walls in some places and Danny stood in the middle of it all, looking like he had gotten into a fight with the ecto bazooka and lost. Their parents had interrogated him for hours as the cruise staff tried to fix what they could, and Danny told them that it wasn't his fault.

"A giant metal ghost came in, saying that he was going to mount my head on a wall!" Danny insisted, "Phantom fought him off and I sucked the guy into a thermos. I had just put it away when you guys barged in."

Jack kind of believed him, at least thinking that Danny had fought off a ghost and was simply down playing himself. Maddie probably would have believed him if he hadn't said anything about Phantom, "Sweetie, how many times do I have to tell you that Phantom isn't real! You're to old for imaginary-"

"Phantom isn't imaginary mom!" He interrupted, "How many times do _I_ have to say that?!" He had jumped up from his chair and ran, ignoring his mother's shout for him to come back. The cloth on the table they were sitting at suddenly whipped itself off, wall and over head lights flickering angrily.

It was at that moment that Jazz and Danny's parents thought he was possessed by a ghost. Jazz scoffed at that, but couldn't deny that something was going on. She decided to try to get Danny to talk, see if he really had any signs of madness.

Danny wasn't going to make it easy for her though, as everytime she sought him out he would disappear, and every time she did manage to corner him he would tell her, in not so pleasant terms, to leave him alone.

She couldn't stop though, Danny was starting to close everyone off and it seemed like he was starting to believe their mother when she said he was making everything up. Jazz normally would agreed with her, but she hasn't seen Danny this happy since he was ten, if this was some kind of coping mechanism, or something else entirely, it wasn't hurting him or anybody. The only thing that seemed to be hurting Danny was their own mother and father telling him he was crazy.

But Jazz knows her baby brother. He wasn't crazy, and even if he sometimes danced around the truth he never really lied. He most certainly wasn't possessed either, so what was going on? She finally decides to try talking to Danny in a more round about way.

She finds him in their new room reading, (lucky none of the luggage had gotten damaged, can't say the same thing for the room...or their budget) thankfully with the door unlocked this time. She walks over and sits on the bed, leaning over like she was trying to see what book he has. At first, Danny seems to ignore her, but her moving around on the bed finally gets him to look up.

"What?" He says crossly. Jazz shakes her head and smiles replying, "Nothing, just wondering what you're reading."

"Science. Now go away." He states flatly, eyes going back to the book in his lap. A few minutes go by before he glances up again, seeing her still seated by him, "What?!"

"Nothing!"

"Then why are you still here?" Danny presses, brow arched and frown set on his face.

Jazz bites her lip and looks away for a bit, "I...I want to learn more about Phantom." Is the excuse she gives.

The brow goes higher on Danny's face as he gives her a disbelieving expression, "You already know about Phantom. From what I recall I use to tell you about him all the time when we were little."

Jazz nods, "Yeah, but I want to know more. From what you've been saying, he used to be on this ship a lot right?"

The raven huffs, "How do you know I'm not making all this up? According to mom and dad, 'I'm making up stories, I'm too old to have imaginary friends.'" He says self deprecatingly, voice raised a little in mockery.

Jazz sighs before putting a hand on Danny's shoulder, looking him straight in the eye as she says, "Danny I know you. I'm just trying to help-" Danny shakes her hand off, "Yeah, and your idea of helping me is trying to figure out what makes me tick. Thanks, but I don't want your help."

"At least give me something Danny! Like what kind of food he use to eat or what room he stayed in-"

"He stayed in room 724 now will you please leave me alone?!" He snaps in aggravation before pushing his sister off the bed.

Jazz huffs, acting indignant as she stands, "Fine!" She exclaims dramatically before making a show of stomping out of the room. She got what she wanted anyway.

She walks all over the ship, trying to find the room. After asking for directions, making up a story about how she was new on the staff and the ship was so big and so forth, she finally finds the room in a seldom used hallway. She tries the knob only to find it locked.

"Of course," She grumbles before something comes to mind making her grin. Checking to see that no one is around, she pulls out the Fenton lipstick laser and aims at the lock, melting the old mechanism.

"Huh, guess I found a use for this thing after all!" Jazz says smugly as she blows on it and opens the door, stepping into the room.

The cabin looks like it hasn't been used in decades. Faded red and gold wallpaper is peeling off the walls and the green carpet is frayed. The bed is stripped bare and dust particles are thick in the air and on the furniture. Jazz coughs to clear her airway and begins to explore the room, looking for any evidence that might help her baby brother.

She checks the dresser, under the bed and even in the bathroom but comes up with nothing. There is a large stain on the other side of the bed that makes her shiver, hoping that it wasn't what she thought it was. Jazz is just about to give up, when the sound of old floorboards reaches her ears.

She looks around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. The blue eyed woman shrugged, thinking it was just the ship settling and starts heading towards the door when a loud bang rings out, making her jump out of her skin. She looks at the spot where it came from, once again seeing nothing, but this time a feeling that she wasn't alone settles in her gut.

"Phantom?" Jazz asks tentatively. No noise this time. "Phantom is that you?"

A few moments go by before another knock, this time softer, confirms her suspicions, "Come on Phantom, help me out here."

She frowns as she glances around the seemingly empty room again, "I know you don't like seeing Danny like this, I need something...anything that'll prove our parents wrong..." Jazz narrows her eyes in determination, "And prove to Danny that he isn't losing his mind. Please Phantom." She pleads desperately.

At first the room is quiet, then the squeaking startes again. This time Jazz follows it, looking for anything worth while. She carefully sidesteps the stain on the floor, and goes to the corner that the squeaking seems to be coming from. She kneels down, looking at the floor and spots something strange.

"Huh, the carpet's not nailed down here..." She glances around, and notices that the rest of the carpet is firmly placed down like it should; except this corner. "Is this the place?" She asks, feeling like she was talking to herself.

Another knock, this time on the wall next to her. She takes that as a yes and carefully lifts the corner of the rug, immediately finding a loose floorboard underneath.

She pulls up the board, and her eyes land on a small box made of heavy polished wood, about the same size and width of the board hiding it. She lifts the chest out of the hole, and tries to open it only to find it locked.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," She groans. She is about to use the laser again when she hears a thump next to her. She glances down to see a small gold key that looks about as old as the room.

"Really?"

She rolls her eyes, getting the distinct impression that she was being laughed at, before picking it up and and unlocking the box.

Inside is a few love letters, written in a flourishing cursive, a dead rose, and a gold pin shaped like a bird that somehow still looks new. She sees something at the bottom of the box that is different from the letters and pulls it out, gasping in disbelief at what it is.

It is a black and white photograph of two men sitting on the bed in the very room Jazz is in. The black haired man looks exactly like Danny, only maybe a year older and with hair just barely brushing his shoulders, wearing a dress shirt that she couldn't discern the color of and grey dress pants with black dress shoes. There is a blush on his face and a smile that is wide and genuine. The other man is sitting behind him with one arm wrapped around the black haired male's waist, the boys' hands entwined in an obvious display of affection. He has stark white hair, bangs falling slightly in his face like the man in front of him, and wears what looks like a white dress shirt with black pants and white boots. Even without any color the man's eyes seemed to sparkle in mirth.

Even with just this picture Jazz could sense the love they had for each other. She turned the photograph around to find more handwriting, this time distinctly more feminine,

 _'Danny "Nightingale" Jameson and Daniel "Phantom" Baratoni,_

 _Mar. 19, 1932'_

'Why does that date sound so familiar?' Jazz scrunched her face before she shakes the feeling off. Regardless, this was enough evidence in itself to convince her that Danny wasn't imagining anything, neither now or when they were younger. She gathers everything and puts it back in the box, quickly putting the floorboard and rug back the way she found them before standing and taking the box with her. Before she closed the door, she glances back into the room.

"Thank you," She says softly to the empty room, closing the door behind her.


	11. Insignificant moments

**Warnings for this chapter: none really, except for some fluff.**

 ** _Line break_**

 ** _Chapter eleven: Such insignificant moments to cherish._**

Danny is still sitting in the room, trying to read but not really focusing on what is in the book. He is pretty sure he read the same line at least twenty times though.

He sighs, absently wondering where Phantom went before shoving the thought away. Phantom wasn't real, Danny had no proof that he was. He wasn't a kid anymore, there was no point in acting like one.

'Besides,' Danny thought, 'Even if he was real, what would the point be? Phantom was supposed to be a ghost, we couldn't have a real relationship even if we wanted to.' He turns the page of his book, still not registering the words on the page.

"Danny,"

He mentally groans, what did he want this time?

"Danny." The ghost says again, sounding exasperated. Danny continues to ignore him.

"Danny!"

"What?!" Danny exclaims as throws his hands up with a scowl in Phantom's direction.

Phantom raises a brow, looking unimpressed at the display, "Jazz is coming," The ghost states. "Well then lock the door! I don't need her analyzing me." Danny grouses.

He frowned when the other male made no move to do what he said, "What? I've seen you lock doors before, why don't-"

He gets cut off by the door slamming open, "Danny!" Jazz exclaims with an excited grin, "What now! I told you I don't need you're help! Why don't you-"

"Danny your not crazy!"

"That's what I said, I'm not-wait what?" Danny halts his rant, mouth left open and not quite believing what his sister said.

Jazz walks toward him and throws an old box on the bed, "I said, 'you're not crazy'! I managed to find the room that Phantom stayed in and found this under the carpet in the corner!" She tells him, excitement still on her face.

Danny glances between the chest and his sister, still not getting it, "You found an old box? I don't..."

Jazz rolls her eyes, "It's not just an old box Danny, look inside it!" She tosses him the key to the chest.

He fumbles it for a bit before he gets a good hold of the gold key, glaring at Jazz and a snickering Phantom who happens to be standing behind her. He looks down at the key in his hands, then to the chest next to him, fighting with himself on whether or not he should listen to her.

"Go on amore, it's something that you need to see." Phantom urges softly.

Danny gulps before taking the chest and putting it in his lap. He shakily puts the key in the lock and turns it, a resounding click seeming to echo in the quiet room. All three of them hold their breath in anticipation as Danny lifts the lid.

The first thing he sees is the gold pin, winking up at him in the light of the lamp. He draws in a breath, picking the pin up and cradling it in his hand like it might break if he wasn't careful. He thinks back to when Phantom asked him if he remembered it, now the memory was coming in crystal clear.

"Phantom gave me this pin on our third anniversary," He says softly, a lump forming in his throat as his eyes burn, "You said you had it made especially for me," Danny seems to forget that Jazz was in the room as he gazes into Phantom's eyes. The ghost smiles sadly and nods.

"It was crafted by the best metal smiths in England, I gave you that with the rose," He motions toward the box, chuckling a little, "You could never bring yourself to throw the rose away, even when I gave you more. You always insisted that you didn't need flowers," His green eyes glow brighter, "But I knew you always loved them, il mio bellissimo uccello del mare(1)."

Damn it, he was crying now. Danny wipes his eyes with his arm before carefully setting the pin down next to him. Jazz stays quiet as he roots through the letters, occasionally reading one and turning a slight pink before putting it down next to the pin. He catches sight of the photograph and his breath hitches, slowly picking it up and staring at it. A new memory comes to mind.

 ** _Into the past~_**

 _Come on Ida, I know you want to test out your camera, but I don't think this is the best way! What if someone finds out about it?"_

 _A woman with black hair cut into a bob, turquoise blue eyes, and wearing a black dress with green-blue accents scoffed, "Oh pish posh Daniel, no one is going to find out! Now do we do this in your room or Phantom's?"_

 _"You haven't the slightest idea how wrong that sounded don't you?" Danny cleared his throat and tugged at his blue collar, "I guess we can take the picture in Phantom's room, there's a lot more room and it's much nicer than mine."_

 _Ida smirked, "If I didn't know better I'd think you lived in Phantom's quarters, with how often you go there."_

 _Danny tugged at his collar again, perspiration forming on his forehead and the back of his neck, "Yes, well, it's very fortunate that you were the one to notice and not anyone else. Vlad would have my head if he found out."_

 _Ida curled her nose in distaste as they walked down the hall to Phantom's cabin, "I do wish you'd take Baritoni's offer and get off this ship for good, Vlad always did give me the willies when I talked to him, I don't know what my parents see in the man."_

 _Danny chuckled as they stopped at the now familiar door, "He has good charisma, there's no denying that." He knocked lightly._

 _Italian curses and grunts were heard on the other side of the door. Danny's face began to burn as he heard Phantom cuss out his pants in a very descriptive manner. The raven haired woman giggled next to him and he found himself thankful that Phantom wasn't speaking French._

 _The door finally opened with Phantom standing there, shirt ruffled and ponytail askew. He glanced between Danny and Ida, before a slow and sexy grin appeared on his face, "Why hello Signore piano man and Signora Manson, what do I owe this pleasure?"_

 _Ida barged past the green eyed devil and made her way into his room with a big smile, camera in hand, "Thought I'd test out my new camera, and Danny was nice enough to volunteer!"_

 _Phantom raised a brow at Danny, "Oh? You volunteered, huh?" A dangerous glint came to his eye, "I suppose a few photos wouldn't hurt."_

 _Danny gulped, "N-nothing outrageous!" He said hurriedly, "I don't want anyone to find these!"_

 _Ida rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip, "Please Daniel, no one is going to see these." She huffed, "Fine, just one picture. One copy for you, and one for myself. No one in America is going to know who you are and I'm not going to sell them."_

 _Phantom put an arm around Danny's shoulders and pulled him closer, "See mio caro? Nothing to worry about."_

 _Danny bit his lip, then gave a hesitant nod. "Okay. I-"_

 _"Great! Now take off your jacket and go sit on the bed!" Ida said._

 _"Uh, What?"_ _Danny suddenly looked like a fish with his eyes wide and his mouth open in shock._

 _Phantom chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "You heard the lady amore, take it off."_

 _Danny's face burned as he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over the dresser out of the way. He yelped as Phantom pulled him onto the bed, legs on either side of his, arm around his waist. Phantom entwined his free hand with Danny's, putting his chin on the Raven's shoulder and giving him another brow wiggle along with a reasuring grin._

 _"Just one picture Nightingale, I would like at least one picture of us together before I have to return home," He purred._

 _Danny shivered as the man's white hair tickled his ear. Ida warmed up the camera and Danny smiled, just cherishing this moment with his friend and the one he loved. A moment that would be captured on film long after they were gone._

 ** _Back to the future~_**

Such an insignificant moment, one that was gone in a blink of an eye. But now Danny had that moment back. His vision wavers as he gazes at the picture.

"Danny?" Jazz says hesitantly, reminding Danny she was still there. He blinks, tears now flowing down his cheeks. He looks at his sister, then at Phantom, both their eyes filled with concern. He sets the photo aside and hugs her, surprising the red haired woman.

"Thanks Jazz." He says sincerely. Jazz smiles and returns the hug.

"Anytime little brother...anytime..."

 ** _Translations for the chapter_**

(1) "Il mio bellissimo uccello del mare." Means My beautiful sea bird.


	12. Let me hear your pretty voice

**Warnings for this chapter: Singing. Danny sing is always underlined italics. Otherwise there's nothing dangerous.**

 **Disclaimer: The song My Nightingale is owned by Demi Lovato, I have no rights to it, I just change the words a little in my story depending on who's singing.**

 ** _line breaks~_**

 **Chapter twelve:** **Let me hear your pretty voice.**

Danny is standing in the dining room again, absently playing a few notes on the piano. He had just woken up in a cold sweat from a horrible nightmare. He couldn't remember everything though, he remembered feeling really good and loved at the start, then fear, and finally coldness and regret.

Danny tried to recall more but when he did it would slip away, so now he simply tries to quiet his mind so he can return to sleep. But that wasn't really happening either so, he's basically just standing at the piano at an impasse.

He feels the arms around him again. He knows who it was though, so he relaxes back into them, still playing notes on the piano. "Hey Phantom." Danny says.

Phantom smiles and kisses his cheek, "Hello my Nightingale."

Danny hums a little, not taking his eyes off the piano and simply enjoying his ghostly lovers presence. Phantom looks at the keys and slides his hands down, tapping a few, trying to remember how to play a song he'd heard once. "Couldn't sleep?" He asks.

"No, not really." Danny snickers as Phantom keeps hitting sour notes, "I really should have taught you piano. But if I recall right we were too busy hiding to have the time."

Phantom smirks, "Well, you were never good at hiding." He leans closer, their lips only a breath away as he smiles teasingly, "You always made too much noise, Nightingale."

Danny's face turns red at the comment, he tilts his head away from wicked gaze of the snow head, "It's not like you were any better. I remember you making a lot of noise that one time when we were in the broom closet. You're lucky that Ida and Tucker were so good at keeping secrets."

Phantom chuckled nervously, blushing slightly himself, but recovered. "You can hardly blame me. I was very moved by your singing voice."

Danny rolled his eyes, "Riiight." He said, unconvinced.

The ghost smirks again, "Especially when it said my name." Phantom says seductively before he grabs Danny's chin and pecks the corner of the teens mouth, "Don't underestimate how alluring you are, My Nightingale."

Danny splutters, his face red from ear to ear. He hits the wrong key on the piano and cringes, dropping his hand to his side.

Phantom snickers, "I love that color on you. It really brings out your eyes." He remarks with a sly smirk.

Danny scoffs and pushes the white haired devil away, but he can't quite keep the grin off his face, "Yeah, well, you look good with it too, it's not too often that you get embarrassed. How about that one time when we were in the dining room and Paulina was throwing herself at you saying, 'I'll bet you are fantastico in bed mi amor! We could make so many beautiful babies together! I'm so glad you're marry me!'" He mimicked doing Paulina's accent perfectly, "Your face was so red I couldn't even bring myself to get mad!" Danny teased.

Now it's Phantom's turn to splutter, blushing intensely at the memory. "Did you-" He shakes his head and clears his throat to stop himself from squeaking out a reply. "Did you have to bring that up?!" He then cringes, "Please don't ever do that again, hearing her voice from _her_ is horrifying enough as it is."

Danny leans over, laughing as he clutches his stomach, "Yeah, I know! Even nowadays she's awful." He says between breaths before pulling himself together smirk still on his face. "It's not like she was wrong though, such a shame that no one else was able to see how 'fantastico' you were in the sack."

Phantom grins impishly despite his growing blush, "So, you thought I was 'fantastico' huh?"

Danny rubs the back of his neck awkwardly as he looks away, face so red that someone would have to invent a new name for the color, "S-shut up you egomaniac!"

Phantom chuckles as he kisses the raven's cheek, "I'll take that as a resounding yes." He steps back and holds out a hand, "Dance with me?"

Danny blinks at the out of nowhere question, "Dance? I can't dance," He eyes the dim room, "And there's no stereo or anyone to play music."

Phantom laughs and grabs the boy's hand, pulling him to his chest. "Yes you can dance. We've danced before and yes there is music," He smiles softly, "Trust me?" He carefully prods at their link and focuses on a song that he thinks Danny would remember.

Danny begins to hear music as Phantom leads him around the dance floor, the blue eyed man somehow able to fall instep with Phantom's movements even though he knows he's never waltzed in his life. He does a quick glance around to find that they are still the only people in the room, then recognizes his own style of piano along with a violin. "Is this the song that me and Tucker played when you were having dinner with the captain?" He inquires, carefully avoiding saying the Monster's name.

Phantom almost grimaces at Vlad's title before nodding, "I remember you playing this song the night we got together," He smirks and spins the black haired boy around before going back to their original positions, "I thought it would fit the mood, seeing as we are together again, My Nightingale."

Danny smiles softly, blue eyes gazing off into memory. "That was also the night I debuted my song for you." The music changed, making Danny go red again as his eyes widen. As much time as he spends with Phantom, his face may never go back to its natural color.

A grin curls on the other man's lips, "Oh, you mean this song?"

Danny gulps, looking down so his bangs cover his face. He ends up stumbling and almost stepping on Phantom's feet, making his embarrassment worse.

Phantom's eyes sparkle with mirth as he laughs lightly, using one hand to lift Danny's chin up. "Look at me, not your feet or the floor," he smiles teasingly, "I really don't want my feet to get trampled tonight."

Danny huffs wrinkling his brow in humiliation, "Screw off Baritoni!" He said pouting a bit.

"Oh, we're going by last names now Fenton?" The ghost asks, his amused smile still in place as he twirls Danny around again.

"I guess we are, or would you rather I called you Dan instead?" He snarks with a playful glare.

Phantom scowls before spinning him around more times than necessary, "You were saying, Nightingale?"

Danny wobbles on his feet a little and shakes his head to get rid of the dizziness; and ends up making it worse. He glares for real this time...or at least tried with the world spinning. "Hey! Not fair you sonofa-!"

Phantom grabs his collar and kisses him, cutting off what he was about to say. Danny tenses before immediately melting into the kiss. Phantom pulls away making Danny blink, feeling dizzy for a completely different reason. "Huh? What were we talking about?"

Phantom laughs before an idea comes to his mind, "I believe you wanted to sing for me?" He says grinning cheekily.

Danny frowns, "Sing for you? I don't sing." He replies nervously.

Phantom raises a brow at the brush off, "What about a few days ago? And you use to sing all the time when we were alone. Come on," He nuzzles the side of Danny's neck making the raven shiver, "Let me hear your pretty voice amore mio." He coaxes gently.

Danny bites his lip. He doesn't usually sing in front of people, his voice would always crack up from nerves. He then gazes into Phantom's eyes. There was no teasing there this time, only warmth and deep love.

Something swells in Danny's chest, wanting out and he realizes that he actually wants to sing this time. He wants to sing for this beautiful, kindhearted man that wanted to give him everything, still wanted to give him everything he could to this day even with the limits of being a ghost.

Just like the bird Phantom had named him after, Danny wanted to sing his gratitude, his love for this man. With the song that he could play at anyone's request, but that only this man had heard him sing.

 _I can't sleep tonight, wide awake and so confused~_

 _Everything's in line, but though I am bruised~_

 _I need a voice to echo, I need a light to take me home~_

 _I really need a hero, is it you?_

They continue to circle the floor as the music plays and Danny sings along, the ghost enraptured by the raven's voice. Phantom may have teased Danny about it, but he wasn't lying; his Nightingale did make such beautiful music.

 _I could never see the forest for the trees, I could really use your melody~_

 _Baby I'm a little blind, I think it's time, for you to find me~_

Danny looks straight into Phantom's eyes as he sang the final chorus, wanting to convey his feelings as best he could.

 _Can you be my Phantom?~_

 _Come to me, I know you're there~_

 _You could be my sanity, you bring me peace, sing me to sleep~_

 _Say you'll be my Phantom~_

Danny goes quiet as the song gently comes to a close. The two men have stopped dancing at this point and simply gaze at each other. They lean in, about to kiss when they hear someone sarcastically clapping, causing them to jump apart from paranoia and the muscle memory from three years of hiding. When they look to see who it is the boys tense, glad that they pulled apart when they did.

"Masters..." Phantom growls, causing Vlad to sneer.

"Hello Baritoni."

 **A/N Blushing Danny gives me strength.**


	13. Blue light then it all went white

**Hello everyone! To all those who have reviewed, followed etc. this story, I thank you! It's incredibly nice to have such praise over one of my stories, and I'm very happy I'm getting feedback! So thank you all so much!**

 **Oh! And to the guest who asked me if Ida was Sam's grandma? Yes, she is in fact _that_ Ida Manson. I wanted someone to fill in the role for Sam in Danny's past, and I remembered Ida telling Sam in the episode Control Freaks that she was pretty wild too when she was Sam's age. Ida and Sam tended to be so much alike from what I had seen in the show, (That actually might be where Sam got it from) that she was perfect for the role. Plus, it would be a weird twist of fate that Danny happened to meet his past freinds grandkids in his current life don't ya' think?**

 **Well, enough rambling! You're all wanting to see the chapter right? Remember that I'm open to all questions (as long as their not spoilers) and feedback! Let's get this show on the road shall we? :)**

 **Warnings for this chapter: None worthy of mentioning, just a little drama.**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter thirteen: Blue light then it all went white**

"What are you doing here Masters?!" Phantom snarls as he pushes Danny behind him. Vlad slowly moves around the room, legs giving the illusion of walking, but his feet never touching the ground.

"I was just enjoying the show. Little did I realize that that beautiful song was meant for you though, Phantom."

Phantom tenses up as his eyes follow the other ghost around the room, careful to keep Danny behind him. Vlad chuckles as he clasps his hands behind his back, smirking at Phantom's attempt to shield the raven haired boy.

"Come now, do you really think you can can protect the boy Baritoni? I'm more powerful than you know and even now my power grows." The man taunts.

Danny growls, slowly reaching for the pistol tucked in the band of his jeans. "Even if that's true Masters, you're not invincible! We will stop you!" He baits the shadow.

"And how do you plan to do that Little Badger? You still haven't the faintest idea how to use your powers at will, you must rely on this fool to help you." He says as he sneers at Phantom.

Danny grins, "I'm not helpless Vlad, here let me show you!" He whips out the ecto gun and fires at the specter. The move catches Vlad off guard and sends him into the wall, the attack causing him to fade away.

Danny twirls the gun and blows the residual smoke from it. "Huh, I guess having ghost hunters as parents really does pay off. At least I didn't inherit my Dad's aim." He boasts before realizing that his ghostly lover hadn't relaxed his stance, "Uh, Phantom, he's gone now...right?"

Phantom shakes his head, glowing eyes still alert, "That was too easy, Vlad doesn't just give up like that. What's-" Vlad appears behind Danny and grabs him, the blue eyed boy crying out as he is hoisted up into the air. Phantom turns around, ready to snatch his love back when his eyes widened at the the man's hand on the raven's head.

"Non di nuovo, Vlad non osare!(1)" Phantom exclaims.

Vlad smiles evily as the hand on Danny's head tightens, "We're almost out of the Triangle my boy, I'm afraid I'll have to do this though I do hate to cheat...well actually no I don't," He laughs.

Danny feels something push into his mind, the feeling is slimy and the ice spiders are worse than ever, seeming to be inside his head and under his skin all at once. He screams in agony as he distantly hears Vlad's laughter and Phantom calling out his name in panic. His head starts pounding, and he realizes that the sensation is familiar.

'Oh my god he's trying to wipe my memories again!' He thought in horror.

He begins to look back on when he first met Phantom, when he gave him the pin and the rose, all the times that Phantom had been with him; then he thought about after Vlad had first wiped his memory and sealed his powers away, how lonely and frustrated Phantom must have been when Danny couldn't see him, couldn't remember him and how he himself felt when he was alone, feeling as if something was missing in his life but was never able to figure out what it was.

'No!' He thinks with determination flashing in his eyes, 'I won't go through that again! I won't let _Phantom_ go through that again! And I'll be DAMNED if I let Vlad win again!' He sees the blue light behind his eyes again and hears Vlad scream, the light becoming brighter and brighter until it is so bright Danny thought it would blind him. It bursts and everything becomes white.

 ** _Line break_**

Phantom watches, feeling helpless as his Nightingale screams, wishing with all his core that he could do something. He flies through the air, trying to either hit Vlad or snatch Danny away when he realizes that Danny wasn't the one screaming anymore. When he takes a closer look, he sees that Danny's eyes are wide open and glowing a brighter blue than normal. Vlad's screams of pain and rage echo throughout the room, so loud the ghost was sure that the living could hear it. He vaguely hears people coming into the room and gasp as from their point of view, Danny was probably floating by himself in thin air. He hears Danny's family call his name, just as the blue light turned stark white, and then Phantom felt nothing.

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) "Non di nuovo, Vlad non osare!" Not again, Vlad don't you dare!**


	14. Life as an orphan

**Hello everyone! My god, this is the longest chapter yet! I hope you all enjoy and once again I want to thank all of you who praised this story so far!**

 **And for the most resent guest (I'm not sure if you're the same guest who asked about Ida, I really wish we could private message guests on this site), the answers you are looking for are coming up soon! And I thank you for the encouragement, I am trying to do better with my writing!**

 **That being said, let's get this show on the road shall we?**

 **Warnings for this chapter: Mentions of molestation. Just mentioned though, nothing like the other chapter.**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter fourteen:** **Life of an orphan, from thief to musician.**

Danny wakes and finds himself laying in a dirty alley in England. He stands and stretches, feeling his back pop painfully as he rolls his shoulders. He looks down at himself, checking to see that nobody robbed him in his sleep and sees that he is still wearing his dirty brown shirt, trousers, and worn shoes that are a size too small. He runs his hand through the greasy and tangled mess he calls hair, and looks at his surroundings, finding himself alone as usual. When he feel his stomach growl, he sighs tiredly.

'Let's get this over with.' He thinks in resignation to what he has to do. He walks into the crowd, sizing up the people strolling the wide and dirty streets. He spots a man in a fine suit and begins to follow him, making sure to keep far enough back so people won't suspect what he is about to do. The black haired gentleman makes the mistake of turning down a street with fewer people and Danny sees his chance.

Danny gets closer to the oblivious man, and carefully puts his hand in one of his pockets. He makes sure to keep pace with the man, slowly pulling out his wallet.

"Boy, what do you think your doing?"

Danny jerks back, dropping the wallet. The man turns and raises a brow at the frightened boy, said boy speaking nonsense as he tries to apologize. The man waves a hand, silencing him.

"Either you're not a very good thief or the people you stole from were moronic. Tell me, which do you think is the case, young one?" He inquires menacingly.

Danny is silent as he only knew half of what the man was saying. The man seems to consider him, "You don't know how to speak do you? Where are your parents?"

Danny actually knows that word and looks down at his shoes in dejection. He shakes his head slowly, tears coming to his eyes.

The man sees this and gazes at the boy pityingly, "I see..." He seems to think for a moment before a kind smile spreads on his face, "Well I can't leave you out on the streets, and I see you don't like that you have to steal for a living, so..." He picks up his wallet and holds out a hand to the boy, "Why don't I take you in? I have a ship that caters to the most refined people in the world, so I'm well off. You won't have to go hungry again."

Danny should have known better than to trust a stranger, seeing how his life was, but it looked like the man was willing to help him. Danny grins and nods, almost making himself dizzy with the force. The man chuckles as he takes the boy's hand, walking with him to the docks. "My name is Vlad Masters, do you have a name Little Badger?"

Danny thinks about what the man said. It sounded like he was introducing himself, so Danny figured that it wouldn't hurt to do the same. He told the man the only words he somewhat knew how to say.

"Dan..nee..Jame..s-son..."

 ** _Life was bad once, then it got better..._**

A year later, Danny is able to speak pretty good english, though because he hadn't learned it until he was seven, he still has to think about what was said and what to say, causing him to have a bit of a stutter. Nobody on the staff seemed to have a problem with it though; in fact from what he could decipher they thought it was cute.

Danny's life had taken a drastic change for the better. He did odd jobs around the ship with the staff to make it up to Vlad, even learning how to read and write a little bit from the cook when the lady had the time. Everyone unanimously agreed that they wouldn't be where they were if it wasn't for Vlad. And now, to top off Danny's good fortune, Vlad has brought a boy about his age on the ship to live with them.

The boy has a dark skin color and really curly black hair that is cut close to his head. He wears the usual staff outfit of grey short sleeve shirt and grey trousers like Danny does, and has light green eyes. Vlad was even nice enough to get the boy some glasses, since the boy couldn't see very well. Danny was the only kid on the ship until now, and had never had friends his age before, so he was eager to meet the other boy. The boy is part of the kitchen staff, so Danny thought it would be the perfect place to meet him.

He goes into the kitchen to do dishes, (He wasn't aloud to collect them from the tables but he was allowed to wash them if there were any) and finds the other black haired boy trying to scrub the grease off of one of the pans.

Danny walks over, grabs a plate and wash cloth and starts to help. The other boy is so focused that he doesn't realize Danny is there until he goes to rinse the pan. He shrieks in surprise and drops the pan, making dirty water splash everywhere.

"Good lord man, you startled me to death!" The boy exclaims, a hand over his chest. "You like scaring people like that?"

Danny grins sheepishly and shrugged, "S-s-sorry 'bout that."

The boy glares at him suspiciously, "What'cha stuttering for? You scared of me cause I'm black?"

Danny looks at him, his brow wrinkling as he frowns in confusion, "Black? Why would I be scared of a color?"

The boy studies him for a minute before his eyes widen in realization. "You don't know what a black person is?"

Danny shakes his head, not able to get what the other kid is saying. The kid sighs in exasperation, "A colored person! A Nigro! Which is what I am! You ain't gonna spit on me or something?*"

Danny gazes at him like he'd grown a second head, "W-why would I s-s-spit on you? Do you w-w-want me to?"

"No!" The boy says, shaking his head, "It's just my dad was black and people always call me a biracial freak, why aren't you doing that?"

Danny shrugs, "W-why would I do that? Isn't it the person under the s-s-skin that counts?"

The boy stares at him in disbelief, "Really? No one's ever done that before," He suddenly grins extra wide, "You're alright kid! Name's Tucker Colins, TC as in 'too cool'.*"

Danny snorts before taking the offered hand, "Vl-Vlad calls me Daniel, but I like to be called Danny better. D-Danny Jameson."

 ** _But things changed as time went on..._**

Years pass and Danny is now thirteen years old. Vlad had been teaching Tucker violin for a few months and he was getting pretty good. But even if Danny is happy for his best friend, he can't help but be sad. Vlad taught Danny perfect English but he refused to teach him anything else, saying that since Danny didn't mingle with the passengers he didn't need to learn another language.

"And why would you?" Vlad had told him, "The staff doesn't speak another language. Are you saying that you want to be better than them Daniel?"

Danny had conceded the point at the time, he didn't want to make himself better than the others, they were like family to him. But he wants to learn more. He is able to read a little bit, though he still doesn't know numbers, (none of the staff could count and Vlad thought there wasn't any point) and he can write his name along with simple words, which is more than he would have been able to do if he was still on the streets in London.

But it isn't enough! Danny had spent most of his life not learning anything except how not to get caught, which Vlad certainly showed he wasn't good at. If anyone else had caught him he would have been sent to slave in the workhouses for the rest of his life. He owes his life to Vlad, and doing simple chores around the ship doesn't match that. So finally, he decides to approach Vlad and ask him if he can learn violin.

"Why would you want to learn something like that?" The man asks absently as he works through his paperwork.

Danny shuffles his feet as his eyes take in the lavish, yet sparse office/cabin, "You're teaching Tucker to play it, I want to learn it too."

Vlad finally glances up at the raven haired boy and sighs, putting his pen down, "I don't think you're suited to violin Daniel," He says carefully.

Danny's blood boiled, "But why?! You're teaching Tucker to play it, your even going to let him up on stage in front of all those people! Why can't I-"

"Daniel," Vlad says with a hard look. Danny flinches and falls silent at the reprimand, glaring at the ground as if it was the thing that had wronged him.

Vlad sits at his desk in silence, gazing at Danny calmly before saying, "What's the real reason, Daniel? Your not petty enough to be jealous of your friend are you?"

Danny sighs, slouching a little, "I owe you so much for what you did for me sir, doing little tasks around the ship isn't enough," Danny looks Vlad in the eye, something he had never done before, "I don't want you to regret taking me in. I wanna make something of myself, I..." He hardens his look, "I wanna make you proud."

Vlad takes in Danny's speech, tapping his finger on his chin. Finally, he says, "Alright Little Badger, I'll consider it," Danny's face brightens and he begins bouncing on the balls of his feet, "Though I still don't think the violin is right for you." Danny deflates at that, "How about..." Vlad taps his chin before he smiles, a thought coming to him, "I get you something better, something to which you could truly express yourself with."

"Like what?" The raven questions, eager to prove himself.

Vlad chuckles, "You'll see..."

 ** _And things became less innocent as the child became a man..._**

Danny runs into his room, shutting the door and locking it with trembling hands. He slides down onto the floor, clutching fist fulls of his hair as he rocks himself. He hears a knock on the door behind him and freezes, heart pounding in his chest.

"Danny? Come on man, open up."

Danny sighs when he realizes it is just Tucker. He shakily stands and unlocks the door, flinging it open and pulling Tucker through before slamming and locking it again.

Tucker sits on the bed, watching as Danny paces around the small and sparce grey room, running his hand through his shaggy hair and gripping it. Tucker also takes in the disheveled clothes, shirt rumpled and belt half undone.

Finally fed up with the silence, he asks, "Danny, what happened? You ran past me so fast I could hardly see you."

Danny's head jerks over and his eyes locked on the dark skinned boy. Tucker almost falls backwards at the intensity of the raven's gaze, fear and confusion swimming in the ocean blue depths.

"You wanna know what happened Tuck? Well so do I! Everything happened so fast I couldn't-" Danny whines in distress and throws his head back, hands pulling so hard on his hair he was in danger of ripping it out.

Tucker stands up and grabs his friend's wrists, pulling them away from the inky black strands, "Danny slow down! Tell me what happened."

Danny takes several deep breaths before he finally calms down enough to speak, though he is still trembling. "Okay okay, well, you remember that I was able to debute today right?" He says in a rush. Tucker nods, showing that he is listening, "Well, I preformed and the crowd clapped and-and I walked off the stage right? I-I was going to come back here to change when Vlad caught me..."

"And?" Tucker prods.

Danny takes a shuddering breath and grins, his eyes wide and manic, "He said that I was great! Said that I was a true prodigy and that he was proud of me!" He laughs crazily, "Can-can you believe that?"

Tucker releases his wrists and takes a step back, "Actually, yeah I can, I told you you were good. But that doesn't explain why you're clothes are out of place and you're stuttering, you haven't stuttered in years man!"

Danny starts running his hands up and down his arms, "Well, h-he said that he had something for me, s-since I did such a good job," He pauses for a minute, and Tucker's eyes go wide in shock as it dawns on him what might have happened, "I-I went into his room with him, you know, not thinking anything since I had been in his room before. B-But then he got really close to me and started t-touching me and," he huffs, "He put his hand down my pants. I was so shocked that I didn't do anything at first but then I..." He falters, so Tucker motions for him to go on, "I...I kicked him between his legs and ran." Danny finishes in one breath.

Tucker is silent for a moment before he keels over laughing, clutching his sides.

"This isn't funny Tucker!" Danny squeals. Tucker takes a deep breath and grabs Danny's shoulders.

"I wasn't laughing at you man, I was laughing at what you did to Vlad! Man, who knew he was such a nasty ass!"

Danny looks at their feet, "But I hurt him Tuck, even if he did that I hurt the captain, He might kick me out on the streets again!" Danny's eyes widen in horror at the thought.

His friend shakes his head, "I won't let him do that to you Danny, what he did was wrong, you did the right thing by kicking him in the jewels," Both cringe at that, Tucker recovering first, "He can't kick you off this ship Danny, the staff loves you, and from the reception you got there ain't no way he can kick you out without losing profit."

Danny thinks about what Tucker said for a bit before he nods slowly, "Yeah, y-you're right."

Tucker smirks, happy he got through to the blue eyed boy, "Ain't I always?" He lets go of Danny and walks to the door, unlocking it and stepping out. He turns back to Danny saying cheerfully, "Come on, get changed, I'm pretty sure that Margaret's got some of those sweet rolls you love so much, don't want me to eat 'em all do ya'?" On that note he closes the door behind him.

Danny smiles a little. Yeah, Tucker was right, Vlad couldn't get rid of him, the people loved his music and the cruise staff loved him like their own child. So with that in mind, Danny changes out of his suit and into the grey outfit he'd always wore since the captain took him in. He opens the door, prepared to follow his friend, when he runs into a solid chest. He backs away, ready to apologize, when he looks up and his breath halts in his lungs at the site of the very man he had harmed and ran from.

Vlad keeps his face carefully blank, though his dark blue eyes seem to be darker as they gaze upon the younger male in displeasure. Danny instinctively steps back, eyes wide as plates as he feels sweat bead on his forehead. Vlad is quiet, making Danny start to wonder if maybe he _would_ get kicked off, when the captain finally says in a very low voice,

"I will over look what happened today, seeing as you did so well in your performance to the passengers. However, don't think that I will let this pass again Daniel."

He steps into the room, and Danny backs away to keep the man out of his personal space, "You said yourself that you owe your life to me, would have had _nothing_ if I hadn't taken you in," He manages to back Danny against a wall, "And didn't you also say that you didn't want me to regret that? I could have very well turned you into the police all those years ago, but I didn't. Do you know why?"

Danny shakes his head fearfully as Vlad narrows his eyes, "Because you had potential boy, so the next and anytime I need you to 'prove yourself' you had best comply. And if you think you can run away, then remember this:"

He grabs Danny's collar, looking the shaking boy straight in the eye, "I can find you anywhere in the world. If anyone tries to help you, they will regret it in the most painful way. And," Vlad shakes him to get his point across, the back of Danny's head hitting the metal wall painfully and making him see black spots.

"Despite what any of those servants of mine think, I could make any of you disappear and no one would wonder or care. _And that goes for you too._ "

He drops the frightened boy on his rear, saying dismissively, "I want you to think about that. And just so you're not distracted, you will not be leaving this room for a week," He glared down at the raven, "And you are not to have any contact with the violinist either."

Vlad walks away, picking up the key on the bed as he leaves. He closes the door and Danny hears the click of the lock. The sound seems to echo around the room causing Danny to shiver at the finality. He curls in on himself, hiding his face in his knees. He hasn't felt so afraid since he was seven; and Vlad, the man that he and the staff thought of as their savior, was the cause of it.

After a week, Vlad let Danny out of his room, though he never got his key back, and whenever the man wanted him the blue eyed boy fought, which led to Danny being locked in his room for weeks at a time. Tucker tried to help but it was no use; neither of the boys could do anything.

They never told anyone about it either, not that anyone would believe them anyway. This went on for months and Danny stopped fighting, beginning to accept it as part of his life, even enjoying it to a certain extent though he always became nauseous afterwards.

It is then after several months that Daniel Baritoni, heir to a fortune in Italy, started coming on the ship...

 ** _Trivia_**

 ***During the 1920's, British women were considered less than lower class if they went with someone of a different color. It wasn't just black people that this applied to, Asians and the like we're also subjected to this. Biracial kids were basically social outcasts at this time, so Tucker was understandably suprised when Danny wasn't following the same attitude.**

 ***I have no idea how people talked in this era, but I figured that Tucker being Tucker, he would probably say something like this regardless of what time period it was.**


	15. My parents wanted a wife

**Sorceress here, with a quick word before we start! I'd like to thank Eva for the positive feedback for this story, and I understand it can be a little confusing on the first read, but I'm glad you like my story! I also know that Spanish and Italian are similar, I just wanted to try something different then just Spanish. I have always loved multilingual stories, and I hope that one day I'll be able to learn both Spanish and Italian as well as other languages!**

 **Oh, and I looked up the songs that you mentioned, and I have to agree, they fit very well with the relationships. I wish I had thought of them, and I thank you for peeking my curiosity enough to look!**

 **With that said, let's get this show on the road!**

 **Warnings: Nothing worth mentioning.**

 ** _Line break_**

 **Chapter fifteen:** **My** **Parents wanted a wife, and I got a boyfriend.**

Daniel Baritoni doesn't know what the point was with him being here.

His parents just dragged him on this ship, hoping that he'd turn away from his 'sinful' ways and find a good woman. Even if he was into women, there was no woman here that would be considered 'good'. He already had five women hit on him in the span of a couple of hours, to which he'd just smile, say something that would make the girl laugh and would politely excuse himself.

There was one girl who was persistent though, a princess by the name of Paulina, who went on and on about how beautiful she was, how important her father was, ("I'm mean, how could he not be? He is the King of Spain!" She proudly boasted.) and how two beautiful people like themselves were just meant for each other. Daniel feels his eye twitch with just the memory of that woman's horrendous voice.

He is leaning up against the back wall of the dining room, arms crossed and scowling at anyone who thought to speak with him, when he overhears talk about the ship's musicians.

"Sure their violinist is grand," He hears one woman say, "but he pales in comparison to the pianist. He's so young, but his music is so moving!"

"Please," Daniel cringes at Paulina's voice, "His music's good, but he's not that much to look at. Not surprising if he works on a ship full time."

Daniel raises a brow as the women chatted on. The Heir isn't the type to believe the gossip of the upper crust, but he finds himself curious about these supposed musicians. The people suddenly go quiet causing the white haired male to look around. His eyes land on the stage where a black haired boy with blue eyes is standing, glancing around the room nervously.

Daniel raised a brow. Was this the piano player they were talking about? If he is, Daniel completely disagreed with Paulina's assessment. This guy wasn't bad looking at all. In fact, with his wide blue eyes and the way he shuffled in place at the attention he is getting he is actually pretty cute. Daniel watches as the boy glances around at the guests again before quickly bowing and sitting at the piano.

The boy cracks his fingers and begins playing a quick and complicated melody and Daniel's heart skips a beat as the music washes over him. That boy was better than good, he was brilliant! It almost seems like the raven is pouring his heart and soul into the music. The crowd is fittingly silent as the musician plays, all watching in amazement as this boy, who can't be any older than Daniel himself, played like a master.

The boy suddenly looks right at him and his heart skips another beat, breath catching in his throat as they lock eyes. The music hitches a little, hardly noticeable to anyone who isn't looking for it. The boy ends his piece and stands, bowing again before quickly moving off stage.

'Oh no,' Daniel thinks as he follows after, 'You're not getting away that easily.'

He skirts around the the dining room as quick as possible without drawing attention to himself, a few people give him a confused look, but Daniel paid them no mind. He gets to a hallway near the stage and looks down it, catching a flash of black and gray. He hurries after it and sure enough, it is the teen from before. Before the raven haired boy can get away, Daniel spoke.

"That was beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard a song more beautiful in my lifetime."

The boy tenses, whipping around like he was expecting to be attacked before he relaxes. Daniel wonders for a moment why this boy would be so on edge before said teen rubs the back of his neck, smiling shyly.

"I'm not that good. I just play whatever comes to my head. There's always someone out there that's better."

Daniel chuckles, walking a little closer, "Perhaps, but you're the best I've seen so far. You don't play what others expect, I'm sure you'd become quite famous one day." Says Daniel sincerely, though he isn't expecting the boy to laugh and say almost bitterly, "Yeah, and maybe one day I'll marry a Marchioness."

Daniel can't understand why this boy would think so low of himself, "You don't give yourself enough credit for your talents." He replies seriously before he remembered, "Oh, where are my manners!" He bows low, surprising the other boy, "I am Daniel Baritoni. What might your name be beon signore?"

The boy's eyes widen slightly, probably recognizing the green eyed boy's name, before he laughs, throwing Daniel off. He holds out his hand and says, "Daniel Jameson, but everyone calls me Danny."

The snow head grins, his humor bubbling up, "We have the same first name? Well the world is small after all." He takes the raven's hand and kisses it, bitting his lip discreetly when the teen blushes. He is just so adorable! "I hope to see more of your preformance, Mr. Jameson."

Danny mumbles 'sure' as he pulls his hand away, causing Daniel to laugh. He walks away feeling good about what had transpired, not aware of what the other boy went through after he was gone.

 ** _One from nothing, the other from everything, both meet and find comfort from each other in the smallest things..._**

Daniel actually went back on that ship several times after, eager to see the blue eyed boy again. He always told his parents that he wanted to hunt for a wife by himself, since he was sixteen and didn't need looking after. They let him go under the assumption that he was meeting Paulina or some other woman and wanted to be alone, not realizing what was really going on.

Danny is a character, if the he did say so himself. He is honest, brash at times, and never held anything back. He was also kindhearted and easy to talk to, Daniel had told him things even his best friend Randy didn't know, though, Danny didn't really talk about himself until later on in their friendship.

He also has quiet moments. Daniel would often find the boy in the dining room, playing the piano as softly as he could. It was at these moments that Daniel has to work to get more than a couple of sentences out if him, which Daniel doesn't mind, since it feels weird to have the teen who normally joked around with him and who blushed so cutely act so sullen. It is one of these moments that Daniel thinks of the perfect way to get Danny out of his funk, or at least he hoped so.

"Nicknames?"

Daniel nods as he leans against the piano, "It would be a way to talk about each other in front of others without them being the wiser, and a way to differentiate between us. I mean, neither of us like to be called Daniel, and we can't go by last names forever."

Danny tilts his head to the side a bit, thinking on what the white haired boy said, "But everybody already calls me Danny, so I already have a nickname. I could call you Dan?"

Daniel scrunches his nose. Randy's brother had taken to calling him that whenever he called him Andy.

"I don't really like that name either, otherwise I would have told you to call me that a while back. We need names that only we would call each other, a secret code if you will," Daniel smirks, suddenly thinking of something, "What about Nightingale for you?"

Daniel has to hold back a snicker at the look on Danny's face, "Nightingale? Why Nightingale?" He asks incredulously.

Daniel feels his grin widen at the incredulous tone, it is just too fun to tease him sometimes. "Because you make beautiful music, therefore, you shall be Nightingale."

Danny blinks in bemusement before a twinkle enters his eye, making the heir slightly nervous, "Fine, but I get to call you Phantom."

Now Daniel is confused, "Why?"

Danny snickers, "Cause whenever I play I always see you out of the corner of my eye, and when I get swarmed by people you disappear without a trace, your hair is white and your eyes seem to glow at times, if it wasn't for the fact that you're warm and I can touch you I would think you were a ghost haunting me."

Daniel, or now Phantom, thinks it over before he decides he likes the name and it's analogy. He raises his shoulders and nods, accepting the new nickname and before he can stop himself he feels a wicked grin stretch on his face and, "Oh, so you think I'm warm? And my eyes seem to glow, huh?"

Danny chokes on his spit and Phantom watches in amusement as the raven turned a cute shade of red, looking away and scratching the back of his head before he snaps in embarrassment, "I didn't mean it like that, I'm just stating facts!"

With the grin still on his face, Phantom steps closer to the blushing boy, probably enjoying this a bit too much, "Oh? Well if we're just stating facts, then what if I say that your eyes rival the ocean in their beauty? Or that your temperament can give anybody whiplash and your smile could outdo the sun?" He remarked, flirting a little without realizing.

Phantom doesn't know why he is saying all this, but he feels it to be true. And it got the reaction he wanted when Danny's face became redder and redder.

Though, he wasn't quite expecting the raven to shoot back, "Then I'd say that you're full of shit and that if you don't get away from me your going to lose the two things that make most women want you: your face, and your ability to produce children."

Phantom cringes as Danny huffs and walked away, hands clenched at his sides. Okay, that was low on Danny's part, but at least topic got the guy out of his funk for a few minutes. And now they could talk about each other in front of others without anyone being the wiser. Phantom grins as he proceeds to walk back to his cabin, in a good mood despite Danny's threat to his manhood. In the back of his mind though, he really hoped the threat wasn't serious.

 ** _Though they were unaware, the feelings they had for each other blossomed into something more..._**

When Nightingale asked him to teach him his Italian, Phantom felt ecstatic.

When Nightingale told him he couldn't speak any language but English and he wasn't aloud to talk to the passengers, Phantom felt determined.

When Danny threw out the challenge of speaking Italian as well as his people, Phantom took it without need of a second thought.

And, when his Nightingale finally told the white haired male about his life, Phantom's heart ached for him.

But, when Danny said that Vlad wanted him for things other than odd jobs and piano playing, Phantom felt suspicious.

And when _his_ Nightingale asked him if it was wrong that he liked what Vlad did sometimes, even though it was obvious that he didn't want it...well...pissed didn't even begin to describe what Phantom was feeling.

Phantom already holds extreme dislike for Captain Vlad Masters, but this made him absolutely loathe the man. How long was this going on? Is this why Danny flinched when the man called him? If it is, Phantom was going to make him pay in the most painful ways.

Danny looks to be on the verge of tears, making Phantom's heart hurt at the desperation in those beautiful blue eyes. Phantom tries to reel his anger in,and looks the raven square in the eyes, "Danny, as long as I'm here I won't let him hurt you like that, you have my word."

Danny seems surprised at the vow, but Phantom meant every word that he said. He puts his hand on the raven's shoulder as he adds, "And to answer your question, yes, what he's doing is very wrong. He doesn't let you leave the boat, he makes you play piano, he only taught you one language and now this. You shouldn't let him do that."

Danny glares at him, "He's not making me play piano, I asked him to let me play it. I wouldn't have known of my talent if it wasn't for him." Phantom resists the urge to roll his eyes, of course Danny would focus on the lesser point in all this. Danny sighs as he goes on, "I would have nothing if it wasn't for him. Even if what he does is wrong, even if I'm not happy, I owe him so much." He shakes his head and gives the green eyed teen a hard look, "And you can't stay on this ship forever, you'll have to get off sometimes. And your an heir! You can't focus on someone like me, it would ruin your reputation!"

Phantom would have been touched at this if it was a different situation. But right now, he feels his anger get the better of him and shakes Danny slightly, "I don't care! I'll protect you as long as I can and you can't stay here forever either! He might not be forcing you to play piano, but he should have helped you out of the kindness of his heart!" He shakes his head, grinding his teeth in frustration, "He shouldn't have helped you because of some...some kind of attraction he has for you! You aren't some _whore_ he can play with!"

He immediately regrets saying this as Danny flinches. But then he surprises Phantom when he stands, blue eyes snapping dangerously.

"I never said I was a-that I was that! I fight him, I avoid him the best I can! But as I told my friend, he could make us disappear and no one would wonder about us!" He deflates, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes as he hides his face in his hands, "Even if I could leave, where would I go? There's no where I _could_ go that he can't find me. He has connections everywhere, he tells me this all the time."

His voice is cracking as he visibly fought off the desire to cry. Phantom felt his own anger leave him, a dull ache remaining in his chest at the hopelessness in his Nightingale's voice and words . He stands and pulls Danny into a hug, feeling the boy tense before he relaxes and returns the gesture. Phantom thinks about the situation for a bit before an idea comes to him. Sure it would cause a scandal, but Phantom would do anything to get his little sea bird out of this and happy.

"You can come with me, if you want." He says, "I have connections as well. Trust me, he'd never be able to get to us."

He feels Danny rest his chin on his shoulder, actually thinking about the offer before he shakes his head, "I don't want him to hurt you Phantom. You're...you're too important to me, you are the first friend I have ever had that wasn't part of the ship crew."

Phantom's hold on him tightens even as a bitter sweet pain shoots through his heart, "Don't worry about me my Nightingale, that cazzo stronzo won't be able to hurt me," He pulls back a little and gazes down at the other boy, just now noticing that he was a couple inches shorter than himself before he pushes the observation aside and smiles, "I'm an heir, remember?"

Danny considers this and finally smiled back at him, making the white haired boy's heart skip a beat at how beautiful he looked, "Yeah, I g-"

"DANIEL! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Both men jump at the booming voice, Danny pulls away abruptly and Phantom viciously starts to cuss in his head, from cursing Vlad for ruining the moment to his mother for giving life to the man.

"I gotta go." The raven says sadly. He walks to the door, but pauses when he put his hand on the knob, "You said you'd take me to your home...Florance right?"

Phantom tries to make light of the mood by saying, "Yes, if you can speak as good as any native," but seeing the look on Danny's face he replies in a much more serious tone, "If you want me to get you out of here I will, and I'll take you to Florence."

Danny chuckles, making Phantom cringe at the bitterness laced into it, "Heh, maybe one day huh?" He opens the door and leaves, leaving Phantom alone with his thoughts.

 ** _As they grow closer, the bond between them becomes inseparable and they finally accept the feelings they have..._**

Tonight, Phantom has to shuffle through dinner with the captain, acting like he doesn't have any extra plans. He sits quietly, only speaking when someone asks him something, as Vlad went on and on about this and that and forcing down the urge to stab the man with the knife in his hand as he ate. He manages to do it (barely), but his knuckles are white as he holds the utensil and he cuts his meat with a little more force than necessary.

He is still pissed at what Vlad was doing to his Nightingale, but he tries not to show it. If anyone asks, he would chalk it up to stress and, if he was really in a bad mood, he would wiggle his brow suggestively and say with a wicked half grin that it's because he hadn't had a willing partner in a while, which never fails to make women blush and cause men to tug on their collars and clear their throats. His mother would probably kill him for saying something so outrageous, but he'd done worse back home so he didn't worry about it.

Speaking of his Nightingale, Danny is up on stage with the violinist (Tucker wasn't it?) playing a duet. Phantom's smile becomes more genuine as Danny once again plays his heart out. Phantom had overheard the passengers talk about how Danny's music seems different than usual, more uplifting and less sullen and erratic. Phantom likes to think that he is the cause of the change and always shows his appreciation for his secret love's music.

Danny is also getting better at Italian and can now hold almost a complete conversation with Phantom in the language. Though, there was one word that Phantom refused to tell Danny the meaning of no matter how many times the boy asked, that was the white haired man's secret. That is, it was until tonight.

Phantom planned to reveal what the word was to Danny on this night, and the heir is determined to reveal his feelings as well. Phantom could tell that Danny returned his affections, so he is sure of success.

When the music ends and the boys onstage bow, Phantom politely excuses himself and makes his way to the usual wall he leans on to grab Danny's attention. He is halfway across the room when he is stopped by a certain someone.

"Daniel! Mi ángel de pelo blanco(1)! It's so good to see you again!"

Phantom cringes as Paulina runs up to him and literally throws herself at him, arms around his own with a vice like grip. He composes himself and forces a smile, hoping that if he acted nice she would go away sooner.

"Principessa(2), I told you not to call me that." He says trying to remove her from his person. He can see Danny out of the corner of his eye watching the interaction and panics slightly, not wanting the raven to get the wrong idea. However, Paulina refuses to let go and continues to hang onto him like a freaking koala, squealing as she stepped in time to him.

"But mi amor, you said that you would marry me!" She screeches, getting the attention of everyone in the dining room, Phantom's eyes become huge in horror as he says in a rush, "I never said that sei donna pazza(3)! Quit making things up!"

She doesn't seem to hear him through as she went on with, "I'll bet you are fantastico in bed mi amor! We could make so many beautiful babies together!"

Phantom feels like he would burst into flames at that remark. He finally manages to throw her off of him and exclaims in a loud squeak, "Madre di Dio, non avete alcun maledetta vergogna! Non ho mai detto vorrei sposare voi psico cagna(4)!"

The room goes quiet, everyone staring at the Spanish princess with her mouth open in shock, and the Italian marques' heir who glared at her with his face bright red in embarrassment.

"P-perra..." Paulina mutters before she snaps, "How dare you call me that usted hijo de puta(5)!"

"Don't you dare bring my mother into this you mucca(6)!" Phantom retorts through clenched teeth.

"Ugh!" Paulina turns and stomps away, though not before saying, "Just wait until my papa hears about this!"

The people start muttering amongst each other at the scene between the two. Phantom rakes his fingers through his hair and sighs, things obviously weren't going to go his way tonight. He is about to walk back to his cabin when the piano starts playing again, the passengers becoming quiet at the tune that to the heir was so full of love and longing, he couldn't move from his spot. He turns back to the stage to see Danny, his Nightingale, standing there with his eyes closed, not even needing to look at the piano to see what he was doing. Phantom, finally getting his feet to move, carefully makes his way to his usual spot and leans there to listen.

Danny opens his eyes and looks right at the snow head, making the man's breath hitch in his throat at blue eyes that shined with nothing but peace. The spotlight focuses on Danny where is standing and makes him seem like a raven haired angel to the white haired male. Phantom feels the tension in his shoulders melt away and he smiles; maybe the night wouldn't be so bad after all.

Later on in the evening, Phantom hears knocking on his door. He puts the book he was reading down and goes to answered it, feeling like he might know who it was.

His assumption is correct, for there in the hallway stands Danny Jameson, looking nervously around the area before his sea blue eyes land on him.

"Nightingale? What brings you to my doorstep?" He says, pretending to be surprised. It isn't like he was unhappy that the musician is here.

Danny takes another quick glance around, ringing his hands and giving Phantom the impression of a small child who was afraid of being yelled at, "C-can I come in?" he says very quietly. Phantom chuckles and stepped out of the way, Danny coming into the room before anyone could see him.

"That was quite the performance you did tonight, that song was very moving." Phantom comments offhandly as he sits on the bed, patting the spot next to him for Danny to sit down as well.

The raven snickers before he obliges, "I should say the same for you, though you didn't have to go so far as to call the Princess of Spain a psycho bitch and a cow did you?" He says with eyes shining in amusement.

Phantom scoffs, cheeks stained a light pink as he replies, "Not one of my best moments, but you can't fault me for speaking the truth," He switches to Italian in his aggravation, saying bitterly, "E lei ha chiamato mia madre una cagna che nel mio libro fa di lei una vacca(7)."

Danny laughs, "Yeah, I guess." They sit in comfortable silence for a moment, before Danny says in a low voice, "You know that song was for you right? I mean, for both of us."

The white haired boy nods, "I figured as such, though I will say that it did calm the passengers down after all the commotion. What's it called?"

Danny squirms in his spot, suddenly shy, "It depends, if you sang it, it would be called 'My Nightingale' and if I sang it, it'd be called..." He trails off, but Phantom understands the jist and grins, feeling warmth swell in his chest.

"My Phantom?" He says softly.

Danny nods, "Would you sing it to me?" Phantom prods. Danny bites his lip looking unsure.

"I've never sang in front of anybody before, I don't think I'm good at it." He evades, Phantom however isn't deterred.

"Come on, I'll tell you what amore means if you do," He haggles, knowing that Danny still wanted to know what it meant. Danny chews the inside of his cheek as he thinks it over before he gives a nod and begins to sing.

Phantom listens in amazement to the blue eyed boy's song. He can see another reason why Nightingale was such a good name for this teen; he sang beautifully, and the song was just as beautiful. He just can't understand why Danny thought so little of himself when he has so much talent and such a wonderful personality. The way Phantom saw it, the world was a dark place and Danny was one of the few lights that shined in it. When Danny finishes singing Phantom smiles and claps with great enthusiasm, making the blue eyed male next to him blush.

Danny clears his throat before glaring playfully at Phantom, "Are you going to tell me now?"

Phantom has to actually think for a minute before he remembers, he smirks as he leans toward the other boy, "Do you really want to know what it means?" He says softly. Danny shakes his head yes, eager to finally hear what it is. Phantom braces himself, it was all or nothing with this next move, but judging by the song he figured that luck might be on his side tonight. He closes the gap between them and kisses the raven haired man.

Danny tenses up for a moment and Phantom almost draws back, thinking he'd made a mistake before Danny hesitantly returns the kiss. There is no lust behind it, just sweetness, but that kiss is everything to the two.

The boys stop, resting their foreheads together and smiling, Phantom whispers, "My love."

Danny blinks, murmuring "Huh?" As he is still out of it a little.

The white haired male chuckles, green eyes gazing lovingly into blue, "Amore. It means love. Here's one I know you understand," He puts his arms around Danny, "Ti amo, my Nightingale(7)."

Danny smiles, hugging back as he whispers, "Ti amo anche, il mio Spirito(8)."

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) Mi ángel de pelo blanco! Spanish for My White haired angel.**

 **(2) Principessa means princess.**

 **(3) Sei donna pazza, you crazy woman.**

 **(4)"Madre di Dio, non avete alcun maledetta vergogna! Non ho mai detto vorrei sposare voi psico cagna!" Translated is, "Mother of god, have you no damn shame! I never said I would marry you you psycho bitch!"**

 **(5) Usted hijo de puta is Spanish for son of a bitch,for those who didn't already know.**

 **(6) mucca, Phantom basically called Paulina a cow, which she is.**

 **(7) "E lei ha chiamato mia madre una cagna che nel mio libro fa di lei una vacca." And she called my mother a bitch, that in my book makes her a cow.**

 **(8) Ti amo means I love you, for those who didn't know.**

 **(9) Ti amo anche, il mio Spirito." I love you too my spirit.**


	16. Good times, bad times, and beginnings

**Sorceress here! Once again I'd like to thank everyone for the reviews, favorites, and for following my story! I love all of your comments, and I'd also like to thank Eva again for the new song, once again you were very spot on in the mood for this story! I really wish I had known about those songs when I wrote this, even though I have to look up English subtitles and stuff for some of them, they really struck a cord with me!**

 **Side note, this chapter was originally all in Danny's point of view, but a new scene just demanded to be written out and I couldn't get the feel right while I was in Danny's head. So there is a bit of an exception in this chapter, regardless I hope you enjoy it! As far as I know, this is the longest chapter of the story! *confetti* Yay!**

 **Now enough of my ramblings, let's get this show on the road shall we?**

 **Warnings for this chapter: Mention of non-con, Shonen-ai (Not the same though, the second mentioned is consensual)** , **and a new language. Once again, if anyone knows the language and thinks google translate got a phrase wrong, tell me what the phrase should be and I'll change it!**

-o0o-

 **Chapter sixteen: Good times, bad times and beginnings**

It is just after Danny's seventeenth birthday that he meets Ida Manson.

Ida was a...unique woman, Danny would give her that. She lived in France until her 14th birthday, when she moved to America. Danny and Phantom ended up meeting Ida in a very...awkward situation.

Danny and Phantom are in one of the ship's broom closets when they hear a scuffle on the other side of the door. They quickly get make themselves presentable and unlock it to find Tucker and a woman standing there, Tucker with a sheepish smile and the woman with her fists on her hips, brow raised.

"I heard shouting and noises in there, what is going on?" She inquires forcefully.

The boys feel sweat gather on their foreheads as they try to come up with an excuse, but Tucker beats them to it, flailing his arms and acting as a shield. "I told you! They were looking for something! It a broom closet what did you expect?"

The woman isn't convinced, her brow rising higher into her hairline at she says, "Looking for something eh? Then what is the heir of the Baritoni line doing in there?"

Danny's eyes dart around frantically in their sockets before he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind, "I was supposed to mop the kitchen and I couldn't find a bucket! Mr. Baritoni offered to help." Phantom groans and facepalms at the poor lie.

The woman hums thoughtfully before a grin crosses her features, "Well then, I apologize for interrupting your search for that 'bucket'. Good day Monsieur Baritoni, Monsieur Piano Man." She wiggled her fingers with a mischievous look and walks away.

Tucker whips around and scowls at the two, "Do you have to make so much noise? Do you know how hard it is to fend off curious passengers when you're both shouting each others names as if you were calling for the Lord himself?!"

The blue and green eyed men blush a deep red. Tucker huffs and shakes his head, glare laxing slightly in exhaustion, "You're lucky it was Ida Manson that found out, if Vlad had heard you he would have had all our heads! At least she is agreeable and is good at being discreet, which you two are most certainly not!" He raises his voice at the end before he walks away, leaving Danny and Phantom standing in the same spot, faces pink in embarrassment at the scolding they got.

 ** _There were fun times, but not all was roses for the little piano man..._**

Danny grunts as Vlad grabs his arm in a vice grip, corralling the poor raven haired male away from the dining room. Before they can get far however, a deep male throat clears and catches their attention. Danny releases the breath he'd been holding at the site of Phantom, Ida at his side as they both gave Vlad accusatory gazes.

Vlad somehow schools his face into a friendly expression as he slacked his grip on Danny's arm, though he doesn't let go of it, "Ah! Ms. Manson, Mr. Baratoni," He said, voice pleasant, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were just wondering where you were going with the piano man in such a rush," Ida answers, keeping her face expressionless and her voice free of accusation, "From the look on your face I'd have thought something made you terribly upset."

"Oh no not at all!" Vlad insists, smile still fixed firmly on and his face and hand on the younger male's arm, "I just need him for something important, one of the maids became sick and since young Daniel is a part of that particular staff usually..."

He trails off, shrugging as if it was a problem that couldn't be helped. Vlad discreetly gives Danny a look out of the corner of his eye and Danny bites his lip before forcing an apologetic smile, "It's okay guys, not that big a deal. I'm used to having to handle these...issues..." Danny glances away, fixing his eyes on the burgundy carpet at his feet.

"Are you sure?" The raven quickly looks up at his green eyed lover, those same eyes swimming with concern and darkened to a deep emerald with helplessness. Danny keeps the grin on his face, in fact he makes it wider, his cheeks beginning to ache at the strain as he said in a much too cheery voice,

"I'll be fine, I've taken over for the other staff before," Well that wasn't a lie, "It's part of my job." 'And my debt...' Danny thought to himself despondently.

Ida goes to say something else, but Danny gives her and Phantom both a pleading look, hoping to convey silently what he so wants them to understand, 'Don't interfere. Please, you're only going to make it worse.'

Ida closes her mouth and puts on the mask of a uncaring debutante, even as her worried turquoise eyes stay locked on Danny, "Well, I hope it doesn't interfere with his performance! All the passengers agree that they love his music, I'd hope to see him preform again soon," She eyed Vlad a little, hoping he got the hint in her words.

From the pursing of the captain's lips and the split second scowl it seems he did. He nods his head graciously and with a quick 'of coarse' he continues on his way with the nervous boy. Danny spares a quick glance behind him to see Ida openly looking at him in worry and fear and Phantom with his head turned off to the side, shoulders tense and eyes squeezed shut as he gritts his teeth in anger.

 ** _But he knew he always had comfort, and never hesitated to seek it out despite the consequences..._**

Phantom gets interrupted from his task of wearing a hole in the carpet from his pacing when a forceful banging on his door is heard. He goes over to the door and opens it, intent on telling whoever it was on the other side to fuck off, when he finds his arms full of a distraught raven haired boy, beautiful blue eyes terrified and desperate as tears ran down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please!" Danny says frantically as he held on to fistfuls of the heir's shirt. Phantom quickly closes the door before bringing the boy over to the bed and setting him down before sitting himself. He pulls Danny closer, who in turn is trying to hunch in on himself. Phantom sees the boy raking his fingers up and down his arms and occasionally licking his lips before his shivers and cringes as if he just tasted something disgusting, his eyes darting around and not landing on anything for more than a few seconds and avoiding Phantom all together.

"Amore please, tell me what's wrong. I won't be able to help you if you don't." Phantom insists rubbing Danny's back in a soothing fashion.

Danny shakes his head slowly, still not giving Phantom the benefit of looking at him, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you what happened, I shouldn't even be here. I should just..." He makes as if to stand, but Phantom holds fast.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, it's not you fault. I'll take care of him, just-"

"No!" Danny exclaims, eyes wide in panic, "You can't do anything to him! He's all the crew has! We'll have nowhere else to go if he's gone!"

"It would be better than what he's doing to you right now! Please-"

Danny shakes his head furiously, his grip back on Phantom's shirt to reinforce his point, "No, it wouldn't be! You don't understand, most of the staff is like me! If we didn't have this, then we would be out on the streets or in jail! Tucker even used to be part of a gang! That's the least of what the rest have done," Danny's hands tighten on the platinum blond as fresh tears fell down his face, "We can't go back, _I_ can't go back, we're all trapped! You can't stop this-"

"Then tell me what I'm supposed to do!" Phantom interrupts, "I can't stand to see you in this hell Il mio cuore(1)!"

Danny shakes his head and hides his face in the crook of Phantom's neck, "You can't." He says, his voice muffled.

Phantom sighs, once again feeling useless. He can't help unless Danny wants the help, and if what Danny says is true, he can't have the only people who treated Danny well asides from himself homeless or worse. He gets interrupted from his spinning thoughts by a moan in his ear and jumps slightly when he feels lips and tongue run up and down the pulse of his neck, "Nightingale, what are you doing?"

"È un buon sapore...(2)" He Hears Danny mumble, making a chill run up the green eyed male's spine, "I still taste him, still feel him even though it's been a few days. I hate it, but I like your taste..."

It takes a moment for Phantom to register the meaning behind the words, but when he does he gets into a mental argument with himself: a more primitive part of him was furious and demanded that he make Vlad pay for defiling what was his, demanded that he reclaim it while the more logical part of him argued that it wasn't right, he didn't want to hurt Danny and this would be a possible way to do it in his weakened state. He pushes Danny away slightly, clenching his teeth at the dissatisfied moan Danny makes at the loss of contact before forcing Danny to look him in the eye, "Danny, we can't, now's not the time."

Danny gazes in confusion at him, "Why not? I think the timing is fine."

"You are not thinking clearly Nightingale," Phantom presses, eyes hard and jaw set, "You must be absolutely sure, there has to be no regrets."

"No regrets," Danny replies giving Phantom his own look, "I have nothing to regret from meeting you, from being with you. Why would I regret something like this or anything else when you are the best thing that's ever happened to me?" The raven's eyes become pleading, "Please Phantom, I still feel him on me. I need this, I need you..." He begs.

Phantom's heart clenches painfully at the desperation, the vulnerablity of the blue eyed boy in his arms. Danny absently scratches his arm again and the primitive side of Phantom won out. He pulls Danny flush against him and kisses him, throwing all his love and passion into it. Danny purrs and throws his arms around Phantom's neck as deepens the kiss, falling back and pulling Phantom on top of him. Clothes get hurriedly shed as the the two males get lost in each other. Both forgetting everything but each other, just for tonight.

 ** _Through it all, they found solace in each other, and the heir always did his best to make his little bird happy, even to the extent of getting him out of his cage...but the worry was always there, never to leave..._**

It is finally time. Danny could speak perfect Italian for a while now, and Vlad's ship had ported in Livorno Italy, which is actually a pretty good mix of ancient and modern. **(A/N for that time)** Phantom manages to sneak Danny off the ship without Vlad being the wiser and Tucker promising to cover for them.

They explore the many shops of the city, with Phantom pointing out different attractions and landmarks, going on the gondola, grabbing some food at one of the local restaurants, and are about to take a taxi to Pisa, when Danny stops in his tracks.

Phantom notices that Danny isn't next to him anymore and turns to see Danny looking at something down an alleyway. He walks over to him to get a better look, and when he sees what it is, he shakes his head and takes Danny's hand.

"Come amore, you shouldn't associate with Gypsies, they are known for being swindlers," Danny refuses to move from his spot when Phantom tries to lead him away, "Danny?"

At this point, the Gypsy is staring at the two boys in curiosity. Danny shakes his head, not taking his eyes off the woman, "Don't you feel that?" He says softly.

Phantom glances between the Gypsy and the raven, "No, am I supposed to feel something?"

Danny begins tugging on his lover's hand, "Come on, I wanna meet her."

Phantom doesn't look too sure, but complies, walking hand in hand as they approach the woman. The Gypsy smiles kindly to the blue eyed boy, "Frate de jumătate de sânge(3)."

Danny looks at Phantom, hoping for a translation, but the white haired male is just as confused as he was. The woman chuckles before she elaborates, "You are kin. A half blood, but kin none the less." She glances at Phantom and frowns, "And it seems that you are following in your parent's footsteps."

"Is that a problem, swindler?" Phantom said defensively. The Gypsy laughs, smiling at the two.

"No, I sense great love between the two of you, who am I to judge you when I was exiled for the same." She bows her head, putting her palms together, "I am Dorință(4), I see the past, and the future, what might I do for the nights singer and his wraith?"

Phantom and Danny are taken aback, 'Did she hear us call each other our nicknames?' The raven wonders to himself. He looks at his lover pleadingly, never having his fortune told before. Phantom sighs, resigned.

"How much do you want?" He asks monotonous. Dorință shakes her head.

"For my Frate, I will tell you your fate for nothing," She says. Phantom seems surprised at this, before his brow furrows suspiciously.

"I do not believe the future is set in stone, Riflettere sul ladro(5). What could you tell us?" Danny elbows him, glaring slightly. Dorință seems to be unaffected by the rude tone however and nods.

"This is true, anyone has the power to change their future, I simply tell them the most likely thing to happen and help if I can."

"So what can you tell us?" Danny asks before Phantom has a chance to open his mouth.

Dorință stands and motions them to follow, sky blue shawl and skirt aflow around her, "I'm afraid that with you, it would take more than just a reading of palms. Let us go into my home, where it is more private."

"perché devo essere sottoposto a questa follia(6)?" Danny hears behind him as he went with her. He throws another glare over his shoulder at the white haired devil who simply crosses his arms and rolls his eyes before following him begrudgingly.

They step inside the Gypsy's caravan to find a large worn wood table with three chairs sitting around it in front of the entrance. Dorință is sitting in the chair farthest from them holding a large deck of cards. The boys hesitantly sit in the chairs closer to them as she shuffles the deck and passes it to Danny.

"You shuffle first, then the other. Allow your energies to fill the deck." The boys do as they are told, Phantom handing the deck back to her after his turn.

She fans the cards on the table and picks one at random, flipping it over to reveal the Three of Swords, before placing it on the table and looking pointedly at Danny, "You have suffered great strife in your younger days. Things you never wanted to do but which were necessary, and you," She pulls the Eight of Cups, "were always well off materialistically, but was always unsatisfied."

Both boys stay silent as she draws a third card card, the King of Swords, and adds it to the row on the table. She glances at Danny again, pity in her eyes, "You were taken in by an older man who promised to protect you, but as time went on he revealed himself to be deceitful, a shadow who uses the darkness to trick you."

Phantom clenches his fists under the table, knowing very well who the Shadow is. She pulls the Two of Cups and smiled gently, "But in the darkness, you found a beautiful love," she pulls the Knight of Wands, "With a man who has sworn to protect you," She then warns, "But he must remember to think before he leaps or else his impulsiveness will bring more sorrow than happiness."

Phantom tenses, knowing that the warning was for him. He glances at Danny, who is intent on what Dorință is saying before looking back at the false fortune-teller who suddenly doesn't seem so false anymore.

She draws the Five of Wands, "You're love is forbidden, in more ways than one. You will have to fight to keep what you want." The Ten of Swords appears, "The shadow will return to ruin you in the most final of ways, but there is hope."

"What hope?" Phantom inquires once again skeptical. She pulls the Death card and looks at Danny,

"One of you will be reborn from this cruelty, reborn with great power, but unable to access what has once been." Next, the Eight of Swords, "The shadow will return to claim you once and for all, if you do not accept what you are," Finally, the Tower, "You will never be the same again."

Phantom slams his hands on the table, "That's it, I've had enough of this olio di serpente(7)!" He grabs Danny's hand and marches out of the caravan, dragging the raven behind him.

"Phantom, what the hell?!"

The grip on the raven's hand tightens, "Non sto andando a credere che scroccone donna schermo di fumo! Vi ho detto che voi non siete dovrebbe affrontare con Gypsy il Nightingale, e guardare ciò che è accaduto! Un mucchio di sciocchezze(8)!"

Danny automatically switches to Italian, "Phantom...siete realmente paura(9)?"

Phantom comes to a stop and sighs, "Amore mio, the woman basically said that you were going to die. And then she said that Masters was going to take you away?!" He grabs a fist full of his white hair and tugs, "How could I not be terrified for you?!" He exclaims through gritted teeth.

Danny pulls the other man to him and kisses his cheek, probably getting some weird looks but right now he doesn't care, "Phantom, I'm not going to die," He kisses his other cheek, "And Vlad won't have me. Even if I couldn't remember my life, I would never go with him," He smiles, looking Phantom in the eye, "And even if I forgot everything, I promise, I would never be able to forget you."

The two men gaze at each other until Phantom smiles back and kisses the raven, wrapping his arms around him, "Ti amo il mio cuore," He whispers. Danny hugged him tightener, a small smile on his face.

"Ti amo troppo la mia anima...e lo sarò sempre...(10)"

 ** _All good things must come to an end, but even then, all endings lead to new beginnings..._**

It wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to find out.

But he did find out, he always finds out. It was only a matter of time.

Phantom didn't even know he was there, that much Danny knew. They were making love, Danny happened to open his eyes, and there Vlad was standing by the bed with the most hateful look that Danny had ever seen. Before Danny could even utter a word there was a loud bang.

Phantom had seized up, looking at Danny in shock before his beautiful green eyes dimmed and he collapsed. Danny held him to his chest, crying as the dark green and white bed sheets became stained in red. He didn't even hear the gun a second time when everything went white.

Danny then finds himself standing on a bridge in front of a waterfall, the scene so vivid and colorful that Danny couldn't even begin to describe it. He looks down and sees that he is now wearing a white shirt and pants, no shoes on his feet.

He walks off the bridge and comes to a gorgeous meadow filled with every flower imaginable. Standing in the middle of the field is a man with long white hair dressed in a blue cloak. As Danny gets closer, he seen a bronze gear pin holding the cloak closed. The man looks to be in his thirties and he gives off a grandfatherly vibe, but Danny instinctively knew that this man was ageless. The man smiles gently as Danny comes to a stop in front of him.

"Hello Daniel," The man greets, his voice seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"How do you know my name?"

The man chuckles, a gleam in his fathomless red eyes, "I know everything that has ever been, and always will be. You may have heard of me by the name Father Time, but you may call me Clockwork."

Danny nods and gazes around the meadow, the feeling of unconditional love and peace was so strong here, he felt like he'd been here before.

"This is the place where all spirits are born and return to when they leave the earth, "Clockwork explains reading his mind, "You may know it as Heaven or Paradise, but some simple call this place Home."

Danny turns back to the ageless entity, "All spirits come here? Then does that mean..." Danny asks slightly fearful. Clockwork shakes his head,

"No, Vlad would not be here, he doesn't want to be."

Danny tilts his head, "'Doesn't want to be?' You mean people can choose to be here?" he asks, trying to understand.

Clockwork turns and walks up a cobblestone path that wasn't there before, Danny following at his side, "All spirits are born here, but a handful left and never returned. They were filled with greed and the desire to control. In this place, everyone is equal and cannot be manipulated or deceived."

Danny becomes hopeful, "So does that mean that Phantom-" his hope leaves him when Clockwork shakes his head, looking at him sympatheticly.

"Daniel Baritoni's death was so sudden that he doesn't realize that he died. He's staying in the same room you were in before, wondering what happened and where you are."

"Then I need to go back!" Danny says, his heart aching at leaving Phantom alone.

"You were going to anyway." Clockwork replies with a small smile, a bright light washes over Danny and he suddenly feels very warm and safe, almost like he is in his Phantom's arms again. He vaguely hearing Clockwork's last words to him.

"Good luck...night's singer..."

The scream of an infant is heard throughout the halls of Amity Park Hospital. At that moment, Daniel James Fenton was born.

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) "Il mio cuore" My heart**

 **(2) "È un buon sapore..." You taste good.**

 **(3) Romanian. It means "Half-blood brother.**

 **(4) Dorință is Romany for Desire.**

 **(5) Riflettere sul ladro, is Italian for wandering thief.**

 **(6) "perché devo essere sottoposto a questa follia?" Why must I be subjected to this madness?**

 **(7) "Olio di serpente" means Snake oil.**

 **(8) "Non sto andando a credere che scroccone donna schermo di fumo! Vi ho detto che voi non siete dovrebbe affrontare con Gypsy il Nightingale, e guardare ciò che è accaduto! Un mucchio di sciocchezze!" I am not going to believe that swindler woman's smoke screen! I told you you're not supposed to deal with Gypsy's Nightingale, and look what happened! A bunch of nonsense!**

 **(9) "Phantom...siete realmente paura?" Phantom are you actually scared?**

 **(10) "Ti amo troppo la mia anima...e lo sarò sempre..." I love you too my soul...I always will...**


	17. Growing up, together again

**Sorceress here! After dealing with a temperamental app, I can now confidently say I bring you a new chapter! And to all my reviewers, thank you for the great feedback!**

 **To Anastasia, Thank you for telling me about that song, it's a very beautiful one. All these songs make me want to make amvs (or at the very least slide shows) but I don't have the equipment or the know how right now so I can't. Bummer, hehe.**

 **And to Diana, that was a...very interesting dream? I never thought my story would inspire a dream like that, almost makes me wish the story ended that way. Alas, it can't be so. :'(**

 ***Clears throat* But you're here to see the chapter, so I won't keep you waiting anymore. Let's get this show on the road!**

 **Warnings for this chapter: A little angst, some fluff, and a happy ending all wrapped up in Phantom's point of view.**

 **-o0o-**

 **Chapter seventeen: Growing up, together again.**

Fifty years. Phantom has haunted this depressing room for fifty. long. years. If he could leave he would, but he has to protect this room, for when he sees his love again.

He had finally figured out that he was dead when the people that entered the room started wearing different style clothes. It was quiet a culture shock when a woman had walked in wearing heavy trousers instead of petticoats. Despite that, they never stayed long, Phantom wouldn't let them.

He doesn't know how he was aware of the passage of time, he just did. He didn't know how many people had entered his and his Nightingale's room until they finally stopped, not even the cleaning crew would enter after some of the accidents he caused to their person. They were only allowed in long enough to strip the bed and do a little dusting, but when they started in the direction of a certain corner, where the carpet wasn't nailed down, Phantom would do something to chase them away.

When he heard the click of the lock for the final time, he felt satisfaction. At last no one would trespass into what he'd marked as his. But as the sun rose and set multiple times, he started feeling lonely. Not regret; never regret, he didn't want the company of some strangers that couldn't even see him, much less talk to him. There were a few times that the ship invited psychics and priests to 'exorcize' him and 'help him move on', but he refused to obey. They never understood why he was haunting this room in the first place, so why should he listen to them?

He wants see his heart again. To hold him again, he wants to be alive again, in more ways than one.

There was one woman, with long black hair and deep blue eyes dressed in light blue trousers and a black off shoulder top that slightly exposed her belly, which made Phantom wonder if she had any modesty about her, that entered the room about twelve years ago give or take. She was another psychic, and had told him that she simply wished to talk. Though he was hesitant, he hadn't had someone to talk to in so long and it didn't seem like she was going to try to evict him from his room like the others did. So they sat down (or hovered down) and began a conversation.

"Do you know how you died?" She had asked.

He said no.

"Why don't you move on?"

Phantom bristled at this and she had quickly reassured, "I don't believe in forcing a ghost to move on if they don't want to! I would be happy if you did but if you feel that you still need to do something here I won't stop you."

Phantom relaxed and told her that he was waiting for someone. When she asked who, he sparingly talked about Danny, having to repeat himself on occasion when he unknowingly switched to Italian. The woman looked at him sadly and questioned,

"How do you know that he's still here?"

"I don't," He said, "But I'm willing to wait until I know for sure."

She hummed a little, before giving him a warm smile, "I feel that you will see him again, though I don't know when, with such sweet love that you two share, the universe would be cruel if you didn't."

They talked about little things for a little while after, before she said that she had to leave. She was almost to the door when Phantom realized something, "Wait, you never told me your name! Didn't the ship crew hire you to do something about me?"

She turned and grinned, "Name's Luna, and I'm just a girl who's curious about the unknown." She opened the door, "It was nice talking to you spirit, I hope you find happiness one day."

Phantom watched as she left, astounded at the fact that she wasn't sent by the fearful staff. The years went on, but Phantom never forgot that conversation. He is starting to think that maybe she was right though, that maybe Danny wasn't on this plane anymore. He's just decided that maybe he should finally move on when he feels a tug at his core.

The pull is insistent, and before Phantom can even try to resist, he feels himself yanked away from the ship and into a hospital. His eyes dart around wildly, confused as to why he is in such a place, before he hears a squeaking cry. He feels the tug again and follows it to a room the has a large man in an orange suit, a little girl with orange hair, and a brunette woman in the bed holding a blue bundle.

The feeling pulls Phantom over to the side of the bed, he is unsurprised when the adults don't see him but finds himself off put when the little girl glances right at him. He leans over slightly, and his eyes grow large as saucers.

The baby has stopped crying at this point but he isn't looking at his mother. No, the infant looks right at Phantom with big familiar blue eyes the color of the ocean in daylight. The baby starts giggling and reaches out to the ghost, confusing the adults in the room. Phantom smiles, and sticks his finger out for the boy to grab.

"È un piacere di incontrarvi di nuovo...il mio Nightingale...(1)"

 ** _After so long, the wraith and bird had found each other again..._**

Phantom watched over Danny, returning to the ship every once in a while to make sure nothing was changed in his room. He stayed invisible so as not to alert the boy's new parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton, as he'd learned from overhearing their conversations they were apparently ghost hunters. Even if they couldn't see him, he didn't want them suspicious of him and it would cause major problems if they decided that he was a threat and tried to protect Danny needlessly from him.

He finally gathered enough energy to change his image if necessary, so on Danny's second birthday, Phantom reveals himself, simply picturing what he'd looked like when he was that age. It was difficult, since it has been so many years since he'd looked at himself in a mirror, but he figures he did a pretty good job.

His change has a few side effects at first, aside from the obvious. He still has his memories, but Phantom, for all intents and purposes, feels and acts like a child, even if he is a little more mature than most. It isn't very obvious as he still has his sense of humor working for him and he has always acted childish to a degree anyway.

The more obvious side effect was, Phantom still cares a lot for Danny, and still feels the desire to protect him, but his toddler mind doesn't fully understand any concept of love except for familial and friendship. So emotionally at least, he would be meeting Danny all over again.

Danny is in the park, playing with a toy rocket in the sand box, when Phantom walks up to him, pleasant smile on his face.

"Hello!" He says cheerfully. Danny looks up from what he was doing, blinking owlishly as if surprised that someone would be talking to him.

"Hi..."

Phantom sits down in the sand, eyeing the rocket in the raven's hand, "What're you doing?"

Danny glances down at the ship in his hand and shrugs, "I'm playing as...astro..." He huffs in frustration, "Rocket ship." He says flatly, as if his answer wasn't what he was going for. Phantom chuckles, "You like rocket ships?"

Danny shakes his head then pointed at the sky, "I like stars, when I grow up, I wanna fly up there and see 'em up close."

Phantom looks up at the sky before looking back at the smiling blue eyed boy, "You think you can do that?" There was no doubt in his voice, only curiosity, and Danny's grin widens with confidence.

"Sure! I seen people do it on TV, so I wanna do it to! One day I'll go up there and be the one everybody talks about!"

Phantom smiles with him. It astounds him that the boy who thought so little of himself before, who even with the talent he had felt like he was going nowhere, was suddenly so sure of himself and was reaching for the stars. Both figuratively and literally. He nods, "I'm sure you will!"

The grin fell and Danny tilts his head, suddenly thoughtful, "I feel like I know you from somewhere... have we met before?"

Phantom contemplates on lying to Danny, but can't bring himself to do it. He had never lied to him before they'd died, so why start now?

"We met before, when we were bigger. It was on a big boat in the ocean." He said, trying to keep it simple since Danny was a kid. He didn't think it was likely Danny would believe that they were in a forbidden relationship, so he held that back, but what he said was true.

Danny furrows his brow, taking what was said in, before his blue eyes widen, "Phantom!"

The ghost jumps at the excited tone, "What?"

Danny smiles warmly, his eyes twinkling in joy and recognition, "That was your name! I came up with it, how could I forget?" He facepalms in exasperation before he frowns, eyes downcast.

"I've been forgetting a lot of stuff lately. I don't know a lot of words like I use to, and that times' getting fuzzy. I don't know if it's because I'm here now, or if something's stopping it. Maybe a little of both." He perks up again, "But I'll always know you Phantom!"

Phantom laughs at Danny's enthusiasm. "Well you'd better! It'd hurt my feelings if you broke your promise."

"Danny! Time to go sweetie!"

Danny glances over at his mother, "I gotta go," He quickly stands and is about to walk away before he pauses, thinking for a moment before he gazes back at Phantom, "Do you wanna come with me?"

The white haired boy grins, standing and going over to the other's side, "I go where you go Danny. Like a wraith."

Danny has to try to remember what a wraith is before he shakes his head, "You're weird." He concludes. Phantom snickers as they follow Danny's mother.

Later that night, Danny seems to notice that his mother never asked him about Phantom. The ghost in question is browsing through his books; since he didn't really 'sleep', he'd decided to try to learn about the new world around him. He feels Danny's gaze on him and glances at the boy. "What?"

Danny continues to stare until he finally voiced his thoughts, "Why doesn't anyone see you Fan-Tom?"

Phantom snickers at the way Danny said his name, before he grins playfully, "I'm a ghost, no one can see me unless I want them to, they could look at me and never know I'm there."

Danny rolls his eyes, not buying it, "I'm the only one who can see you can I?"

Phantom sighs, "No, only people with psychic powers can see me." He then smirks, trying to lighten the mood, "Which means you're one of those 'gifted' people Danny."

Danny huffs, "Whatever," He says hiding the grin on his face by rolling over, "Good night Phantom."

Phantom smiles as he picks up a book, "Goodnight Danny."

 ** _Though one forgot, the other was always there with him, because of this they were inseparable_** ** _together again..._**

Three years later, Danny isn't able to remember even the smallest things from his previous life. The only way he knows Italian is because Danny wanted to have a secret code like they used to. Phantom didn't think it was necessary in that sense, but with Danny's growing amnesia, he encourages it, it would be one way to keep their link strong.

So when Danny spots the piano in that pawn shop and begs his mother to have it so he could play it for Phantom, the ghost can't help but smile. At least when Danny did have bleed overs from that time, it was never anything negative. Though Phantom loathes Vlad with a passion, he can't deny the one good thing that happened from meeting him, was Danny's love for the piano.

When Danny starts taking lessons at Mrs. Summers house, the kind old woman praises the raven, saying that it was like Danny had played for years, a prodigy. Phantom snickers at that, thinking, 'If only she knew,' as he sits on the couch behind them that day. Danny isn't technically learning anything new, it was more of a refreshing of memory than anything.

This point is proven when he starts playing their song. Though Danny doesn't seem to realize the importance of the song, he would play it or hum it when they were alone. Phantom's shy little bird never did it in front of others, though he knew that Jazz secretly listened and liked the song. This went on for a few years until the old woman passed on, Danny was sad, especially since the Fenton's couldn't snatch the piano before Mrs. Summers kin got it and sold the beautiful piece of furniture. Danny still wanted to play it though, had even saved up his allowance for a synthesizer, but for Danny it isn't the same.

Other more hostile ghosts have been coming around since Danny was four, and Phantom had to fight them off. They especially grow interested when Danny starts getting his powers.

It is a sunny day in Amity Park, with birds chirping and people in the park having picnics and kids playing, when Phantom crashes into the water fountain, giving people a nice little show of the fountain imploding for no reason. Danny runs through the park, Fenton thermos in hand and eyes following the invisible fight as Phantom exchanges blows with a rocker ghost named Ember. She is one of the few ghosts that normal people could see if she gets strong enough and had managed to hypnotize half the young populace before the boys figured out that she wasn't actually alive.

"Give it up brat! This whole world will be mine and if you think you can get in my way, you got another thing coming!"

"I don't think so pop princess!" Phantom retorts as he charges her. He manages to land a punch, sending her to the ground creating another crater and scaring the shit out of the citizens of Amity Park. Danny is doing his best to get the people out of the park before Ember spots him.

"Huh, I thought I hypnotized all the brats in town, well then!" She turns one of the dials on her guitar to a picture of a spiral and strums it, aiming for Danny.

"No!" Phantom cries before rushing to protect the living boy. He's too far away, he won't be able to make it!

Then something happens that shocks the two ghosts. Danny throws his arms over his head and a bright blue shield appears. The blast passes over the shield harmlessly before fading, the shield disappearing afterward. The boy in question looks at himself, confused. "Wasn't that supposed to do something?"

"What the hell?!" Ember exclaims, ponytail flaming bigger to show her anger and surprise, "That was supposed to put you under my spell! How the fuck did you-"

"Ah, ah, ah, language Ember," Phantom interrupts with a smirk, "there are children present," he flies and hits her with a double fisted attack sending her flying higher into the air.

Ember rights herself, using her guitar as a hover board. She scoffs incredulously, "You ain't no kid dipstick! I don't see what you're trying to prove!" He rams into her again, firing an ecto blast before she can recover.

"I wasn't talking about myself, la mia signora(2)." He says cheekily.

Ember slams into the ground again. She gets up, cuts and burns on her face and ponytail a little bit smaller. She tries to use her guitar to attack, only for it to snap in two.

"What?!" She shrieked, disbelief on her face. Danny runs over and sucks her into the Thermos while she is distracted.

Phantom lands next to him, and without thinking, hugs the other boy, "That was fantastic Danny! You have your own shield!"

Danny blushes, "Non ho fatto molto(3)," he says modestly before he registers what Phantom had said, "Wait, I have my own shield?"

Phantom feels his browline crease, joy melting into confusion, "You didn't know that you did it?"

Danny pulls out of the hug, "I just thought that that beam didn't work, or that you did something."

Phantom shakes his head, "I couldn't get to you fast enough, and you know my energy is green, the shield was blue."

Danny becomes quiet, brow wrinkled in thought. They go home and Danny acts normally again as if he'd pushed what happened out of his mind. But Phantom knows better, it was bothering Danny, he just didn't want to show it.

As time went on, Danny begins gaining new abilities. He still can't fly like Phantom can, which disappointed him a bit, but he learned telekinesis, how to form said shield at will, and could even shoot energy out of his hands like Phantom. The boys also discovered that they had a mind link, could feel what the other was feeling and it was an added bonus that Danny could talk to Phantom without having to open his mouth, which meant he no longer looked like he was talking to thin air.

His mother was relieved, thinking Danny had finally given up his 'imaginary friend' as she liked to call the ghost, which Phantom could tell pisses Danny off. Calling Phantom imaginary was basically saying that his old life never happened, which with his constant bleed overs and lapses in memory, Danny doesn't think that way. Especially when his feelings for Phantom start to resurface. It would be an insult to his sanity if people thought he had a crush on someone who wasn't even real, he was already getting bullied enough as it is.

The ghost doesn't draw attention to it, even if he feels it. He wants Danny to tell him in his own time. This finally comes to pass about a month after Danny turns eleven.

They are sitting in Danny's room, Danny playing Doomed with Tucker on the computer while Phantom reads, when the ghost notices how quiet Danny has been. Usually, Danny would be shouting at the screen, sometimes to the point that if Phantom was alive it would have blown his ear out. So if Danny was quiet, it usually meant something was on the boy's mind. He looked up from the book,

"Danny? Is something the matter?"

Danny sighs, "Tucker, could you give me a minute? I need to do something."

"Sure, dude." Tucker says before Danny mutes the line. He gets up and sits on the bed, keeping his eyes off the ghost. "Phantom? Can I talk to you about something?"

Phantom puts his book down, shifting on the bed so he is sitting next to the raven, "You can tell me anything, what's wrong?"

He feels the nervousness from the boy as he keeps his blue eyes on the hands in his lap. Phantom frowns in concern, feeling a sense of deja vu, "Danny?"

Danny fidgets in place, "Uh, we've known each other for a long time right?" Phantom nods, silently urging the raven to continue, "Were we ever..like...together? Before now?"

Phantom blinks, starting to get an inkling of what Danny was trying to say and answers cautiously, "Yes...we were..."

Blue eyes widen in surprise, as Danny finally looks at the snow head, "Really? Why didn't you tell me before?"

Phantom grins wryly, "How am I supposed to tell a young child that we were in a forbidden relationship? You wouldn't have known what it was."

Danny scratches the back of his neck, cheeks pink as he smiles self-consciousnessly, "Well I...I've been looking stuff like that up...and it's not so 'forbidden' anymore,"

A brow raises into a white hairline at this, "Okay, what are you getting at?"

Danny sighs and faces the ghost head on, tension rolling off him, "I was kinda hoping we could be that way again."

Phantom jolts at this, his jaw dropping in disbelief before he inquires, "You realize that I'm a ghost right? Someone only you can see?"

Danny gives him a small smile, shaking his head, "I don't care about that, I like you Phantom, a lot...I always have, I just didn't know what it was 'til now." Phantom's breath caught at the dejection in his eyes, "But if you don't feel that way anymore, I under-"

Phantom kisses him, silencing that train of thought. Danny tenses in surprise before kissing back sloppily, moaning a bit as he put his arms around the other male. After a bit, Phantom pulls away to let Danny breathe, putting their foreheads together and smiling gently.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that again." He says making sure to project every bit of love he felt and letting it wrap around the blue eyed boy like a blanket, His eyes soft as he whispers, "Ti amo il mio Nightingale.

Danny sighs happily, finally feeling at peace. "Ti amo troppo, il mio Phantom."

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 ** _(1) "È un piacere di incontrarvi di nuovo...il mio usignolo..." It's a pleasure to meet you again my Nightingale._**

 ** _(2) La mia signora means My lady._**

 ** _(3) "Non ho fatto molto," I didn't do much._**


	18. All he could do

**Warnings for this chapter: Angst. Lots and lots of angst.**

 **-o0o-**

 **Chapter eighteen: All he could do...**

Danny and Phantom are hand in hand as they walk home from Danny's school. People are giving him strange looks, but Danny doesn't care, he is just happy that he gets to spend time with Phantom like always.

It had been three months since Danny had confessed to Phantom and finally their relationship seemed right. For the longest time, Danny felt that there was something off in their friendship, and it wasn't until he was older and he started noticing his feelings that he'd figured out why. He found that their love transcended friendship, even the word soulmate was inadequate to how much they loved each other as sappy as it sounds.

It didn't matter to him that Phantom was a ghost now. Danny could still talk to him and touch him, so even if everyone and their dog thought he was weird with acting the way he does, he was with his Phantom, and that was all that mattered to the raven.

The familier shout of 'Beware' interrupts his inner monologue, and Danny feels irritation flood him even as the ghost next to him sighs. They glance over to where the noise is coming from and see the Box Ghost, packages from the nearby post office flying around him. Then it is Danny's turn to sigh.

"I am the Box Ghost! Master of all things rectangular and square! I will finally defeat you, ghost and child with-" The overall clad ghost pauses to read one of the boxes, "This meat and cheese from Montgomery Ward!"

Both boys roll their eyes exasperatedly, "I'll handle this," Phantom says, kissing Danny on the cheek before flying off to the misplaced aggression reliever.

Danny sits down roughly on a nearby bench, waiting for the short battle to be over. He rolls his shoulders, trying to work out the knot in his back. He just wants to go home and lay down, maybe cuddle a little with Phantom before Sam and Tucker came over. That thought is interrupted by a cold chill down his spine. He jumps from his seat, whirling around to find a translucent old man in a suit, grinning at him with malice.

"Hello Daniel."

Danny feels a incredible fear flood through him but he holds his ground, "Who are you?! How do you know my name?!" He exclaimes, secretly feeling proud that his voice didn't shake.

Next thing he knows the man is right in his face, eyes solid red and fangs in his mouth as he grins wickedly, "You have no need to worry about that, I just came to even the playing field a little."

"Wha-" Before Danny can blink, a hand with what felt like sharp talons is digging into his head. Ice spiders swarm his body and mind as he gets struck with a massive headache. He screams the last word on his lips before he blacks out.

"PHAAAANTOOOM!!!"

 **-o0o-**

Phantom has just defeated the Box Ghost when he hears his name ripped from Danny's throat, making his ectoplasm freeze. He flies back to where the scream came from and finds the man he'd hoped to never see again, hand locked on the raven's head as he passes out. Rage boils through the ghost as Vlad lets Danny fall to the ground.

"Masters!!!"

Vlad glances over at Phantom with a cold grin on his face, "Ah, Baritoni! You're looking well."

Phantom clenches his fists, "What did you do to him Stronzo?!" he says through gritted teeth. Vlad gazes down at the unconscious boy, as if he'd just realized that he was there.

"Oh, just a little memory wipe. You've had the advantage too long Phantom, it was about time I leveled the playing field no?"

Phantom growls, fists blazing with green energy, "You will fix it Masters, or else!" He demands, green eyes flashing in rage.

Vlad sneers, "Or else what?" The answer is in the form of an ecto ray to the face. Phantom's vision is tinted a venomous green as he proceeds to pummel Vlad for everything he is worth.

Vlad hits the ground, leaving a massive crater in the middle of the street. He flickers in and out, still smirking triumphantly and pissing Phantom off.

"I couldn't 'fix him' even if I wanted to Phantom! His powers and memories are locked away! Only he can overcome it!" Phantom blasts him again, Vlad grunting before the grin returns, "And you better hope he does, because coming his eighteenth year, if he doesn't remember or refuses the memories entirely, he will be mine!" Vlad fades, laughing maniacally.

Phantom hears a groan and flies down to try to comfort his Nightingale, but when Danny opens his eyes, Phantom's core shatters. Danny is looking right through him, the same look that everyone else has when they can't see him. Danny rubs his head, looking around the area in bewilderment.

"What am I doing here? Was I so tired that I passed out in the street?"

"Danny?" Phantom whispers, hoping that the boy could at least hear him. But it is no use, Danny can't see or hear him...in fact he has completely forgotten about him.

He watches as Danny gets up, still rubbing his head as he cringes, "Man, what a headache. I better get home and sleep this off."

Phantom watches, heartbroken as Danny walks away. Because of their connection, Phantom can never be far from Danny, but this gift had just turned into a curse as all Phantom is able to do is watch life go by.

He watches as Sam asks Danny to kiss her, jealousy burning through him and then relief when Danny says he doesn't feel anything. Then he has to watch the awkwardness Danny has to go through before Sam finally over comes her embarrassment and returns, coming up with some bullshit that she didn't feel anything either, which if he could Phantom would have called her out on it, but he can't.

He watches as Tucker starts going on and on about Paulina. Phantom cringes, remembering the Paulina he had had to deal with back so long ago. He watches with sadness as Danny claims to like her too when it is obvious that he doesn't, and starts to humiliate himself over her.

He watches as the other white haired boy, Elliot, shows up at the highschool and watches Danny stalk him and Ida's granddaughter. He doesn't feel jealous this time, he knows his love was only worried about her. He isn't jealous when Valerie asks Danny to be her boyfriend either. He knows Danny doesn't really care about her that way, he does feel immense pride for his Nightingale when Danny breaks the son of a bitches nose though.

He watches Dash force himself on Danny, feeling about as much rage if not more than Danny's friends did. And his core aches when Danny talks to his sister, saying it wasn't him that kissed the blue eyed boy. Though Danny doesn't know that it is Phantom he is talking about, for the first time in a long time, Phantom wishes he was alive again so he could comfort his Nightingale.

He watches the migraines become worse, with not using his powers in so long, they were putting a strain on Danny. There are some days Danny can't even get out of bed because of them. He wishes he could do something, but the only thing, the only _damn_ thing Phantom can do...is _watch_.


	19. A Fenton does not submit

**Warnings for this chapter: None.**

 **-o0o-**

 **Chapter nineteen: A Fenton does not submit.**

Danny finds himself in a black void like place. He looks around in curiosity, he can see himself, but there was no floor, no up or down, even time seems irrelevant here. Danny starts walking, though he has no clue if he is going anywhere, he just feels that he needs to find someone.

That someone appears seemingly out of nowhere, on his knees and holding his head as if he was in pain, "Phantom!" Danny cries running over to him.

Phantom looks up with eyes wide in surprise before wrapping his arms around Danny, burying his face in the other boys neck,

"Danny!" Phantom exclaims, his voice muffled.

The boys hug, relief flooding through them until anxiety from Phantom's part of the link sweeps through Danny. Phantom clutches the other man's shoulders, panic in his green eyes, "What are you doing here? This is the inbetween, the living can't last long here!"

"That would be my fault."

The two pull apart as a creature with Vlad's voice appears, with blue skin and black hair styled like devil horns dressed in white with a cape and black gloves, boots and belt. Blood red eyes gleam as a fanged smile splits his face.

"Do you like my true form? This is what I had become after I died." Vlad growls as the smile turns into a demonic snarl.

Danny stands and gets in front of Phantom, eyes glowing bright blue in anger, "You mean after you murdered us? Yeah, I think this look suits you."

Phantom stiffens at this news, 'Vlad was the one who killed me? Killed us?' He feels his own anger bubble as he slowly gets to his feet and joins Danny, facing down Vlad with his own eyes blazing and fists bright with energy, "È umile maiale cane(1)!" He spits viciously.

Vlad yawns, putting on an air of indifference, "Is that the best you can call me? I've been called worse when I was alive."

Danny blasts Vlad with a blue ray, throwing demon off guard, "Is this better Fruitloop?" He says with grinning victoriously. Vlad growls, duplicates himself, and charges, forcing the two apart.

"Regardless of what you think or do Daniel, I'm still more powerful than you'll ever be!" Vlad hisses as he blasts Danny with a pink ecto ray. Danny yells as he gets thrown back, hitting the invisible ground. Another blast which Danny dodges before jumping and sending a flying kick at the monster, which is easily caught.

Danny is left dangling by his ankle until Vlad tosses him, sending him flying before he rights himself. A wave of pain hit him and Danny screams, his hands flying to his head and squeezing, trying to get it to stop. He feels an incredible chill rack his body, causing him to fall to his knees. He vaguely hears Phantom calling his name before a hand grabs the front of his shirt and lifts him up. He squints open his eyes to see a blurry image of Vlad grinning up at him in triumph.

"See Daniel? Your powers are beginning to overwhelm you. It won't be long before they and the inbetween destroy you and you finally become mine."

"I'll...nev-Urg!-never become...yours Masters!" He forces out. Vlad growls and shakes Danny, jarring him and making his squeeze his eyes shut again as the migraine worsens.

"You will submit to me Daniel Jameson! You were mine first! If it wasn't for me you'd have never been where you are now!" Vlad howls.

Danny looks him square in the eye and says very low, "That's true, if you had never found me back then I would have never got where I was," Vlad grins, thinking he'd won, "If you had never brought me on that ship, I'd have never met my friends. If you had never taken me on that ship I wouldn't have discovered my talent for piano,"

He glares Vlad down as his voice steadily rises, "If you had never taken me in, I would have never felt like I owed you. If I hadn't met you I wouldn't have felt worthless! Well guess what?!"

Danny grabs Vlad's wrists, squeezing with a strength he never thought he possessed. He feels something cold swell in his chest, pushing at the back of his throat and making him feel as if he is going to throw up, " _Daniel Jameson_ , would probably submit to you, _he_ would have been terrified of you, but I'm a _Fenton_! And _we_ don't submit to monsters **LiKe YoU**!!!"

On the last two words, blue waves erupt out of his throat, sending Vlad away from him. Ice particles form on the tips of his black hair and on his shoulders, his throat feeling like he'd swallowed a whole jar of vix vapor rub. But Danny ignores this and keeps shrieking, and Vlad keeps screaming, freezing into a solid block of ice.

Vlad shatters, the last of his screams fading in the air as Danny is finally able to stop the wail. He collapses, Phantom catching him at the last second. Danny pants, his throat sore and his head pounding as Phantom whispers soothing words and praises in his ear.

The world around them suddenly brightens, transforming into a beautiful meadow with flowers of every kind and fragrance. Phantom looks around in awe, not bebelieving what he is seeing.

"Madre di Dio...(2)" he whispers breathlessly.

Danny simply smiles, remembering when he was there before. A man appears before them, a grandfatherly smile on his blue face. Danny's grin grows at the presence,

"Hey Clockwork," he says, his voice thick and scratchy from wailing for so long.

"Hello Daniel, Phantom, you both seem exhausted."

Danny chuckles, "Yeah, you could say that." He raises a brow, "What are we doing here though?"

Clockwork suddenly becomes stone faced, "Phantom can't stay a ghost forever. Now that Vlad's gone for good it's time he moved on."

Danny feels Phantom's grip tighten, "I'm not leaving Danny." the ghost says flatly.

Clockwork sighs, "I cannot stop you from staying the way you are, but think of this," Clockwork gazes at the white haired man with a stern, but gentle look.

"Danny is alive and he must live his life, where you are dead and have been so for almost seventy years. You are stuck and will be unable to grow as spirits should. You could wait until it is Danny's time to leave, but you will not be able to experience the same things as he. You won't be able to grow old with him like you want, you won't be able to truly help him if he gets hurt, and as time goes on you will be unable to remember what it is like to be human." His gaze softens farther, "Do you really want that, Daniel Baritoni?"

Phantom looks down at Danny, indecision written on his face before Danny feels a flood of despair, "Are you sure there is no other way?" Phantom asks softly.

Clockwork seems to think for a moment before finally coming to a decision, "Well, I could rewind your personal clock to the time before your death, but this has never been done before so I'm not sure what could happen."

"Please, I just want to be with my Nightingale." Phantom pleads. Danny glances up at his lover before giving Clockwork his best puppy dog eyes, even if it couldn't be possible, Danny knew in his heart that there would never be anyone but Phantom for him.

Clockwork studies them for a moment, before a kind smile appears on his face, "Wind Back..." He says simply. Everything becomes white again.

 ** _Translations for this chapter_**

 **(1) "È umile maiale cane!" You lowly Pig Dog!**

 **(2) Madre di Dio, means Mother of God.**

 **A/N I am sorry to say that the next chapter will be the final one, though I am thinking of writing an extra chapter for this.** **It might be a while before I do so though since it's one I haven't written it yet.**

 **It's been a good run, and I thank you all for your support. Final chapter will be published Thursday, and as always I hope you all have a great week!**

 **~Sorceress**


	20. Epilogue

**Warnings for final chapter: None**

 **-o0o-**

 **Epilogue: Explanations, I wouldn't change anything for the world.**

Danny wakes up to people gasping and someone enveloping him in a bone crushing hug, "Ow! Jazz, a little tight!" He grunts cringing.

Jazz releases him, only for his mother to come up and pull him into a similar embrace, "Danny! My baby, what happened?! You were floating in the air and vanished without a trace! We were so worried about you!"

"I'm okay mom," Danny says finally getting free, he hears another groan and becomes worried, "Phantom!"

"Phantom? Wha-" Danny ran past her mid sentence and up to a man laying in the same spot Phantom was when they'd disappeared. Green eyes open and a gasp of disbelief comes from Jazz before she runs over to the two.

"It can't be..." Jazz whispers, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Phantom is wearing the same outfit as he did in the photograph, long white hair down and all over the place. He blinks a couple of times before he looks around the room.

Danny grabs and hugs him, taking the breath out of the ex ghost. Phantom smiles and strokes his back, though Danny could still feel the confusion in their link, "Nightingale? What's going on?" He glances around the room again, "Who are all these people?"

Danny searches the man's eyes, but can see that Phantom truly doesn't recognize anyone but him. He thinks back to what Clockwork said and feels a bit of sadness in his heart. So this was the price huh? Clockwork had literally wind back the clock for Phantom, he now remembers nothing of his time as a ghost; for Phantom never died.

Danny helps the green eyed man to his feet, "Phantom, we have a lot to talk about." he says resigned. Phantom gazes at him curiously, not understanding the look on Danny's face and the foreign feelings he is getting. He doesn't remember that they have a link and it's confusing him more that he recognizes the feelings of relief and resignation are not his own. Danny gazes back at his family, smiling tiredly, "You guys need to hear this to. It's a long story."

Phantom chuckles wryly, "Amore mio, you forget something, I like long stories and if I'm reading this right it appears to be a very good one." Danny rubs the back of his neck, 'Phantom, you really have no idea...'

 **-o0o-**

When Danny had gotten done telling his story, the ship has finally left the Triangle and docked in Bermuda. Everyone stares at him, mouths open in disbelief when he finishes.

"So it is the year 2010, and I've been a ghost for 68 years?" Phantom asks.

"And what we thought was your imaginary friend was actually this man who was protecting you from a demon who used to abuse you when he was alive?" Maddie adds when she's able to speak.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up." Danny answers sheepishly. He then looks down at his feet, suddenly nervous, "Uh, you remember when you guys asked me if I was interested in anyone?"

His family all nod slowly. Danny takes Phantom's hand in his own, feeling a sense of comfort when Phantom's grip tightens.

"Well you see, the reason why I wasn't interested in anyone was because, subconsciously, I was still in love with Phantom. There wouldn't, couldn't, be anyone else." He confesses slowly, watching his family for any reaction.

"Are you sure sweetie?" His mother says. He gauges her facial expression, and sees nothing but curiosity in her eyes. He nods firmly.

"Yeah mom, Phantom and I were lovers even before it was socially acceptable. I couldn't imagine my life with anyone else." He smiles sweetly at the man in question, who returns it in full.

His family sees the looks on the boys faces and can't deny the love between them, especially when Danny's parents recognize the same looks that they themselves gave to each other. Maddie smiles, "Alright Danny, we have no problem with your relationship. But," She holds up a finger and glares at Phantom.

"If you hurt my baby, just remember that I am a black belt and I know over a hundred ways to cause you indescribable pain. Whether you're alive or dead."

"S-Sì ma'am..." Phantom said nervously, shaking his head yes so there would be no misunderstanding.

Maddie then smiles warmly, "Welcome to the family Phantom."

 **-o0o-**

Danny chuckles as Phantom gapes at all the technology and buildings. He remembers a time when they were smaller, just a couple of two year olds discovering the future for the first time. Of course, Danny didn't realize Phantom was a ghost until he was seven, since Phantom never acted like the monsters his parents told them they were. Yeah, he could believe that there was some ghost who weren't friendly, but from what Danny could see, some simply wanted to be left alone. So when he found out, he didn't think much about it another continued on like nothing changed; like they were doing now.

Danny's parents took Phantom's and his relationship in stride, which the raven expected from his dad, since he was the live and let live type, but his mom was a shock.

When Maddie pulled him aside, he asked her why she was so cool about it when before she was so vehement about dismissing Phantom as an imaginary friend. Maddie bit her lip and looked away guiltily.

"I was scared for you," She had confessed, "I went through the same thing you did when I was younger...well I couldn't shoot ecto rays and the like but I could see spirits and I never really had a good experience with them. I ended up loosing a dear friend of mine because of a possessive ghost. It was why I devoted myself to the paranormal."

She had looked him in the eye, her own purple ones shining imploringly, "I was scared, because you'd almost always come home with injuries and when you talked about Phantom, I thought he was hurting you," She then smiled, finally looking like a great weight was lifted from her shoulders. "But he was protecting you from other ghosts who were wanting to hurt you, so he can't be a bad man can he? And I can tell he loves you very much."

Danny returned the smile and they hugged, the air finally clearing around them.

So Danny was able to reconcile with his mother and they are finally almost as close as when he was a little kid. Jazz had handled it like he'd expected her to, simply telling Phantom that if he ever hurt her brother, which was highly unlikely, she would put him in a world of pain. Phantom had a healthy fear and respect for the Fenton women, but didn't think too much about it.

When Danny asked, Phantom said almost wistfully, "Reminds me of when my sister Ellie found her husband, my mama had told him that if he broke her heart, he'd find himself eating dog meat instead of meatballs." Phantom laughed, "How could I compete with that, eh? Mia madre(1) would have done it too, she was a scary woman! But she loved us and would have done a lot for us." He then sighed, his expression full of regret, "Se solo si avrebbe accettato le mie preferenze(2)."

Danny felt sorry for Phantom, but forced a smile, "I'm sure she would have accepted you eventually, in fact if if she was here now, she would have been proud of you." Phantom smiled in appreciation and kissed the raven for that.

Later that night, as Danny and Phantom are snuggled down in there own room, Danny hears soft singing above his head. He smiles at the song, letting Phantom's voice carry him off.

His life back then wasn't perfect, but he would do it all over again if he had the chance to meet his Phantom.

 **Can you be my Nightingale?~**

 **Sing to me, I know you're there~**

 **You are my sanity, you bring me peace, sing me to sleep~**

 **Say you'll be my Nightingale~**

 _Fin_

 ** _Translations and final authors note_**

 **(1) Mia madre, My Mother**

 **(2) "Se solo si avrebbe accettato le mie preferenze." If only she would have accepted my preferences.**

 **Thank you all for reading my multichapter story! I thank all who have stuck with me til the end of this and give you my love! You are all beautiful people!**

 **Also Selena, I'm sorry but the authors notes on the first chapter said that anything consensual will only be mentioned. The reason I made this an M rating is because of the abuse that Danny had to go through, along with the rules on this site. Otherwise I would have rated this a T. I'm sorry if this ruined your expectations, you've been really sweet and I thank you for the offer, but it wouldn't have fit with the story I was wanting.**

 **All that said, I love all of you and I hope you have a great day/night!**

 **Sorceress**


	21. News and thanks

**Hello everyone! The reason I have come back onto this story, is because I wanted to answer a few questions I've been finding in the reviews and since the site doesn't let you private message guests, here we are.**

 _Will I make a sequal to nightingale's Song?_

 **No, I have no plans to be continuing this story in a sequal. I** ** _DO_ have the final chapter were Phantom returns home with Danny, but I don't plan on posting it *dodges rotten produce* AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME! I _do_ plan on posting it, but I also have other plans in mind which I will get to in a bit.**

 _The line breaks are weird._

 **I am aware that my line break method is kinda weird and choppy in NS, this is one of my first stories after all. That why I have plans on trying to revise the story on here, clean it up, fix the pacing, add more description and take away what isn't need if there is any, the whole shabang. I've been planning on doing that for quite some time, but life slapped me in the face and I've been neck deep in Kingdom Hearts lately as some of you may have noticed. It's not that I don't love Pitch Pearl, _or_ Danny Phantom in general anymore, but my muse for this fandom keeps going on long vacations without my say so and the KH fandom sort of sashayed in to take up the missing space.**

 _When will this "revised version" be coming out?_

 **Honestly, I don't know. Like I said, I've been distracted by other fandoms and Life has been busting my knee caps _a lot_ for the past year on top of that. I'm thinking I'll be doing it little by little when I have the mental energy and nothing else gets in the way, so _maybe_ some time this year, but I can't make promises on that when it comes to this story.**

 _Are there any Bloopers?_

 ***grins* As a matter of fact, I _do_ still have the bloopers I've made with Firewolf13th a couple years back. I'm not entirely sure if they would be amusing to anyone else, just us two writers projecting through our OC's and causing a lot of mayhem. I also have a couple of things that are sort of a mini series, but I sort of lost interest in making anymore for either the bloopers or the skits. That said, if anyone is actually interesting in seeing them, for good or bad, I'll post them on my Tumblr since I feel like they would be too short and choppy here.**

 **If there's any questions, either new or ones I didn't see, feel free to leave a review and I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities by adding to this chapter. Other wise, I truly am sorry if I've disappointed anyone with what I've said. I'm not a review glotton (or at least I don't _think_ I am) but the reviews that all of you have given me have made me smile a lot. I'm honestly surprised (in a good way mostly) that there was even _this_ many reading and praising my writing, especially Nightingale's song which is in fact one of my early works.**

 **I feel like I have grown in the time I've been writing, both here as well as on Wattpad and occassionally on Tumblr, but I still feel like I have room to grow in this department. I have no one to thank but my friends that I've made, both online and in the real world, as well as all of YOU; the people who have taken the time out of their day to read my stuff, whether it's crappy or a precious gem that I've tried my hardest to polish and shine so it can be worth while. I've never felt so humbled by such a thing, I honestly never thought that with the so few things that I've allowed myself to show others on here, as well as the other writing sites I've mention, that I would ever get anything out of it exept my own entertainment and desire to share my stories.**

 **All of you are wonderful, lovely Lights that shine in this world, the gorgeous rainbow of fish in this Electric Ocean called the Internet, even with all the sharks and the horrors that it can dish out. It really warms my heart to hear your voices, even if it's just through text I can still feel that warmth, and it really makes everything I've done on these sites, all the things I _hope_ and _dream_ to do one day, all worth while.**

 **I am eternally grateful to all of you, and I hope all of you have a great rest of your week. :)**

 **~Sorceress**


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